Another Angel of Music
by Sparrow Love7
Summary: Erik escapes from the Opera House and a woman finds him and brings him in to take care of him. Will this woman help Erik believe in love again? And will she help him bring back the music of the night?
1. Somewhere Warm to Sleep

_Okay, I tried writing a story before, but I did not like it, so this is, hopefully, going to be better than the other one. This chapter has the meeting of Erik and the woman that brings him in._

Somewhere Warm To Sleep

Tears were still on Erik's face as he ran out of the secret exit of the Opera House. He brushed the broken glass off his white shirt and he used his jacket to cover his face as he ran over to a bench to sit on. "_I can't believe I lost Christine…my angel of music…to a man that does not even know how beautiful she is." _The tears were streaming now and he raised his hand to brush them off and felt the rough skin of his horrible face. He slammed his hand down on the bench and started to sob. _"It is because of this face that I lost the woman I love. I will never love again." _People on the street were staring at him, looking at the strange man covering his face. He just pretended he didn't hear the muttering of curiosity. He didn't care anymore. He didn't have Christine anymore and that one thought made his heart cry louder than any note he had ever sung in his life.

"It's over now, the music of the night," Erik sang to himself as he leaned against the bar of the bench. His eyes started to close as he imagined Christine singing with him for the first time. He loved her so much and he was so certain that she loved him back. How wrong he was. _"I was deceived by her, there's nothing else to it. I fell for her too hard and too fast and I should not have let myself done that. She only loved me for my voice." _His head started to nudge to the side as he hummed "All I Ask of You." If only he had made that beautiful song with her. It would've been an honor for her to sing that to him. But no, it was for Raoul. The man that ruined his life. _"Say you want me with you, here, beside you…"_

"Monsieur? Monsieur?"

Erik's eyes started to open and saw a woman standing in front of him. It was too dark to see her but she was close to him, looking him in the face.

The face.

He jumped up and covered his face with his coat. "Uh, what? What do you want?" he asked looking at her behind his coat.

She was looking at him curiously. "I just wanted to see if you are alright. It's not every day that I find a man sleeping on a bench."

As Erik's eyes started to adjust to the lamp posts around him, he saw that the woman was very beautiful. She had long, red hair with nice, limp curls. She had nice, pouty lips and her high cheekbones made her a very classic beauty. She was wearing a nice dress but a ratty coat, meaning that she was probably middle class. When Erik didn't respond to her, she smiled kindly and held out her hand. "I'm Adrienne."

He just stared at her hand, not knowing what to do. He was afraid if he did, his hood would fall down and reveal his face. If this happened, Adrienne would shriek and run home like every other woman that had ever seen his face. Again, after the long hesitation, she spoke again.

"Listen, I live right down this street. You look like you could use a nice bowl of soup. Would you like that?" She stared at him, the kind smile still on her face.

Again, he couldn't speak. A woman had never asked him to accompany her anywhere in his life. He wanted to go, so badly. He had just realized how hungry and tired he was. Soup sounded like heaven right at that moment. Once he spoke, his voice was hoarse and nervous. "If I go, will you…will you give me a mask at your home?"

Adrienne stood up right and looked at him strangely. "A mask monsieur? Why do you need a mask?"

Erik stood up next to her. He was about a foot taller than her. He saw her draw back a bit, surprised by his sudden movement. He was surprised also because he suddenly got shaky and collapsed. Before he hit the ground, Adrienne had caught him by the arms and was holding him up. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" They stared at each other for a moment as she held him. She was indeed, beautiful, and he was surprised to see her blush as she helped him stand upright. "Well, it's for sure then. You are coming to my house. And I will give you that mask for whatever reason you want it for. Do you need me to hold your elbow on the way there?" she asked as they started to walk down the stoned street.

"No, I'm fine. You have already down much mademoiselle," he said looking down at her as they walked on through.

"Oh please, you don't have to call me that. Just call me Adrienne. Nothing formal." It was amusing to see how much her head had to lean up to look at him. "What is your name or do you want me to keep calling you monsieur?"

"Just call me…Erik."

"Erik, all right."

There was an awkward silence as they came upon her house and walked up to the entrance of it. It was right on the street, a small, but nice, brown house with two stories. She took a key out of her pocket and opened the wooden front door. "Come on in!" she said as she walked inside.

It was very cozy. The kitchen was right beside the door and a nice, reading area was on the other side of the room. There were stairs against the wall, most likely leading up to her bedroom. He stood awkwardly by the door after closing it, watching her fussing around the kitchen. She turned around to look at him. "Well, come on in! Sit down; take off your shoes, your coat."

"What about that mask you promised me?" he asked.

She turned around again, looking at him. "You still want that?" He nodded. "Very well, I guess right now is not the right time to ask questions. It's upstairs in my night table next to my bed. It's in the drawer, you can't miss it. I used it once for a masquerade ball."

His heart jumped. Was it the masquerade ball that was made to poke fun at him? He nodded at her and climbed the steps to her bedroom as he heard her putting on the soup. The bedroom was small and nice. She had a large bed with a blue quilt. He walked over to the night table and opened the drawer to find a white, half horizontal mask. Although it was not the one he was used to, he put it on and he was brave again. Hidden again. He walked down the stairs and sat down at the table.

"Well, here it is." Adrienne turned around with a small bowl of soup in her hands. As she looked up at him, her eyes widened and she blushed. She accidentally tilted the bowl and spilled some of the hot soup onto her hand. "Oh, ouch!" she cried and placed the bowl on the table.

Erik couldn't help smiling as he stood up to help her with her burn. He knew he was much more handsome with a mask on and that had obviously surprised Adrienne. He reached out for her hand. "No, no Erik, it's fine, don't worry about it," she said, red still stretched across her cheeks.

"I've dealt with burns before Adrienne, let me." She hesitated, but then gave in, and placed her hand in his. He was very gentle and calm and she wasn't the least bit nervous as he tied a bit of his ripped shirt over the burn after washing it with warm water. "There," he said as he let go of her hand, "nothing to worry about." He smiled at her and she blushed once more as she sat down at the chair across from his.

Erik sat down also and pulled the soup towards him. He lifted up the spoon and filled it with the yellow broth. He sipped it and it was wonderful. He looked up to see Adrienne looking at him, anticipating his comment. He smiled. "It's great. Thank you so much Adrienne."

"It's quite alright. You looked so weak and hungry; I couldn't resist giving you my famous soup." She laughed to herself, but soon got serious. "Erik, do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?"

He stopped eating and looked up at her. He was extremely embarrassed as he shook his head "no." "But Adrienne, that doesn't mean I have to stay here-."

"No, no. I'm not going to have you sleep on that bench tonight. It's fine. You can sleep on my couch. It's quite cozy with the fire going."

"But-."

"No, you're sleeping here. That's it."

All he did was smile and she smiled right back.

_Well, there's the first chapter. I hope you guys liked it. I'll hopefully update it tomorrow. The next chapter is gonna be the whole explanation of him wearing the mask and stuff so yeah! It's gonna be good!_


	2. Please, Tell Me Everything

_Hey again! Okay, this chapter is longer than the other one and Erik tells Adrienne everything that happened at the Opera House. So yeah, here it goes!_

Please, Tell Me Everything

After eating dinner, Erik went to the reading area by the fire to settle in for the night. Adrienne was cleaning up around the kitchen, washing out the pot of soup. She walked over to him and asked, "Oh, you will need something to sleep in, won't you?"

"Oh, you don't have to get me anything. I can sleep in this."

She giggled. "Erik, it is fine. It's no trouble at all, really. You're so polite," she said looking back at him as she climbed up the stairs to her room.

Erik smiled to himself. _"Wow, she is beautiful. She's practically as beautiful as…" _Still thinking of Christine brought tears to his eyes and he would not have himself crying in front of Adrienne. He sat down on the soft couch. But he still could not help thinking of Christine. _"She and Raoul are probably holding each other right now, sleeping in each other's arms…not thinking about me at all. How heartless can they both be? They do not even know what I had to go through as they swooned over each other. Christine will never know."_

"Are you all right?" Adrienne was back with a night shirt and an extra blanket for Erik. She was looking at him, concerned. He stood up quickly and wiped his eyes.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking of where I was before this. It brings back a lot of memories."

Adrienne set down the items on the couch. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Erik looked at her. She was so kind and sensitive to his feelings. She had been really nice about the whole "mask" deal, she had asked no questions. He knew it would be hard to explain everything that had happened to him, but he knew that he must if he was going to be staying with her. "Yes, I do want to talk about it."

After changing into their pajamas, making two cups of tea, and lighting the fire, Adrienne and Erik sat down on the couch together. Erik took a deep breath and started the story. He told her how he had been born, sold to the circus because of his face. He explained how he had been brought to the Opera House by Madam Giry. As the story progressed, it became harder and harder for Erik to tell it. Adrienne was a great audience. She knew when to gasp and when to reach over to hold his hand. When it came to the part when Erik first saw Christine, the tears started to form. He couldn't go on; it was too hard for him. "Oh Erik, I'm so sorry!" Adrienne said as she knelt down in front of him. "I should not have been so rude about the mask deal. I had no idea."

"No, Adrienne, you were great about it. You didn't ask me anything about it," he said as a tear rolled his cheek.

"There's more, isn't there? You wouldn't be crying if there wasn't."

Erik sighed and nodded. "You fell in love, didn't you Erik?"

He looked up and her, his eyes filled with tears. "Yes, I did. Adrienne, have you heard of the soprano Christine Daae?"

She nodded, looking confused.

"I was in love with her. She loved me too until she ran into her old love, Raoul. She told me she loved me and then she betrayed me and left to go off with Raoul. I ran into you right after that."

"It was this night that she left you? Oh Erik, if only I'd have known. I would've been much more sympathetic."

Erik looked her in the eye. "Adrienne, I already told you, you were great. I don't where I would be sleeping tonight if it weren't for you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome Erik."

They stared at each other for a moment but then Adrienne coughed and stood upright to sit down on the couch again, next to him. There was an awkward silence as they both sat there thinking of what to say. _"I wonder what she's thinking. Probably wondering what's behind my mask. She'll probably ask me to take it off, but I won't, no matter how much she asks me to."_

"Erik?" asked Adrienne, her voice shaky.

"Yes?"

"I know it's a lot to ask…and you don't have to if you really object, but, do you think…you could show me…what's behind your mask?"

He smiled weakly and shook his head. "Trust me; you really do not want to see what's behind this disguise."

Adrienne turned red and started playing with her hands. "Yes, it's fine. I just wanted to ask, you don't have to."

"What, the mask is not good enough?" Erik smiled.

"No, it is! It's great! You look…well…I mean…I don't mind it..but…well." It was funny to see how nervous Adrienne got when Erik brought up the mask. It also took her mind off what was behind it.

Erik laughed. "Thank you."

She looked at him and blushed. "I didn't compliment you," she joked.

"Oh, sure," he said jokingly.

They both laughed and took sips of their tea.

"I think you are too," Erik said quietly, looking at Adrienne over the top of his cup.

Adrienne turned the brightest red Erik had ever seen as she smiled and set her cup down on the table in front of them. "Well, I'm really tired; I should probably go up to bed."

Erik's heart sunk and he stood up as she did. "If you wish it," he said gently as he stood over her.

She looked up at him and they started at each other for what seemed a full minute. "_She has beautiful eyes, the most beautiful green I have ever seen in my life."_

"I could stay…a bit longer if you aren't tired," Adrienne suggested playing with her hands.

Erik smiled and nodded as they both sat down again on the couch. They talked for a long time, discussing their favorite things, such as books, foods, hobbies, and dreams. She had a loud, clear laugh that brought a smile to Erik's face each time he made her laugh. Erik felt so comfortable with her, like he had known her for a long time. Like old friends from childhood. They had been talking about an hour when Adrienne looked at the clock.

"Goodness, it's one in the morning. You should get some rest, you've been through a lot tonight and I'm keeping you up." She stood up.

"No, this has helped me a lot. I've gotten my mind off her. It's really good talking to you." He smiled up at her.

She smiled back and picked up the two mugs to put in the sink. He followed her to help her wash his cup. She picked up soap off the cabinet next to the sink and filled the sink up with water. She added the soap and dunked her cup in. Erik followed after. They were both scrubbing their cups, when out of no where, Adrienne blew some suds on Erik's face. She giggled as he brushed them off his mask.

"You know, you're just ruining your own mask by doing that."

"I couldn't resist, you looked so serious washing your cup."

"No, it was just another excuse to look at me in my mask," he joked around. He started to laugh but was stopped as another huge lump of suds hit him in the face.

Adrienne started to laugh out loud but was also stopped as suds from Erik were thrown in her face. She gasped and looked at him surprised. "I can't believe you just did that."

"You did it to me."

"Yes, but I'm a lady."

"Hah, that's no excuse for you to beat me." He scooped the largest handful he could and planted it in her hair. She squealed and splashed a handful right into his face again.

"Stop, you're getting you're pajamas that I'm wearing wet," joked Erik.

"That's fine, I can dry them," she giggled.

They continued the fight for about three minutes and didn't even realize that the floor was soaked underneath them with suds. Erik stepped forward to plant a handful in Adrienne's face when his foot slipped from underneath him and he fell backward right onto his bottom. Adrienne laughed the hardest she had all night until Erik grabbed her hand and pulled her down with him. She fell on top of him and they both laughed until they realized how close they were. Adrienne was basically lying on top of him. They stared at each other, both covered in suds. Erik reached his hand forward and brushed a sud of her cheek. "There, that's better," he said gently and smiled.

Adrienne smiled too and finally lifted herself off the ground. Erik helped himself up and they both stood there, covered in water and suds. "Oh gosh, I'll go get some towels in the closet over here," Adrienne said as she crossed the kitchen.

Erik followed her and right before the closet door, against the wall, behind a bookcase was a piano. He stopped and felt the keys. "Wow, I didn't know you had a piano. It's beautiful."

Adrienne turned around with the towels in her hand. "Yes, it used to be my mother's. She gave it to me right before she died." A shadow crept across her face. "It was her most favorite possession in the world. I was honored to get it."

Erik wiped himself off before he sat down at the piano bench. "Did you ever play?"

Adrienne sat down beside him. "Yes. I never had the heart to play after my mother died though. It wasn't the same."

"Do you sing?"

She hesitated but nodded with a look of sadness on her face. "I sang everyday with my sister as my mother played songs for us. It was a daily ritual in our family. I miss it a lot."

Erik looked at her. "I'm very sorry."

Adrienne awkwardly smiled. "It's okay. It was a long time ago. I have gotten over it." She hesitated for a moment before she asked, "You sing and play Erik. Would you mind entertaining me right now?"

He paused. The last time he had actually sung was his last time with Christine. He didn't think he was ready yet. "I'm sorry Adrienne; I think it's too soon."

She nodded. "I'm tired anyway. We should be going to bed." He nodded and they both stood up at the same time. They were both thinking the same thing. They had gotten close so soon, but was it too soon to hug or kiss or anything? It was the first night they had met and this thought both crossed their minds at the same time. "Well, you're all settled in then, right?"

He looked at the couch and nodded. "Hey, thanks again for everything Adrienne. It really took my mind off of Christine a lot."

Erik was surprised to see a look of disappointment and anger cross her face. "Glad to be of help," she said coldly as she picked up the towels off the floor.

He stepped forward to explain, but she had all ready started climbing the stairs. He knew that what he had said sounded bad, but he had not meant it that way. He knew if any other woman would have been there, she wouldn't have helped him at all. He would explain it to her the next morning. She would understand.

Erik walked over to the coach, his pajamas still a little moist, and lay down on the couch. He heard the click of Adrienne's lamp go out upstairs and there was complete darkness. He placed the blanket over himself. He was frightened for his dreams. He knew that the whole night, he would dream of Christine and Raoul and how they had taken his life out of his hands. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for, what would most likely be, the worst night of sleep in his life.

_"Angel of music…"_

_Okay, so yeah! Haha, hope you guys liked it. Give me your reviews and stuff! Next chapter will hopefully be updated soon so look out for it! Next chapter will have a day of fun for Adrienne and Erik! Woot!_


	3. Erik's First Picnic

_Hope you guys like it so far. To the people that find it surprising that Erik got over Christine so quickly, don't worry! There's a reason for that! Anywho, this chapter contains a picnic and a little bit of romance. Here we go! _

Erik's First Picnic

The light was shining through the downstairs window, right into Erik's face. It took him a couple seconds to realize that the sun was shining on him as his eyes were still closed. He groaned and tried to shield his eyes with his hands. He was still so comfortable and he was not ready to get up yet. As hard as he tried, the sun still managed to beat into his eyes, so he gave up, threw off the covers, and sat up.

He had surprisingly slept well. He had had no dreams at all, just a full night of sleep. It had been a long time since a night like that. He normally had dreamt of Christine at the Opera House, singing her heart out in her dressing room. Sometimes, he had waken up and walked to the two-way mirror to see her practicing. It sounded creepy, but it wasn't like that to him. He was her tutor and it was his job to see how well she was singing. He had trained her well, singing softly behind the mirror. At first, she had been frightened. She would stop singing immediately and go to bed. After awhile though, she would sing with him and listen to his corrections. She tried to talk to him and ask who he was, but he would just leave and go back to sleep.

Erik came back to reality and stood up to yawn. The fire had gone out during the night. He turned around to the kitchen. There were still marks of suds on the floor and their mugs still lay in the sink, forgotten from the soap fight. He walked over to dry them and put them in her cupboard, but Adrienne came up from behind. "Still some suds, huh?"

Erik turned around. Adrienne was already dressed, wearing a gray dress with white frills at the bottom. It was really nice for just a casual wear. Her hair was up in a tight bun, with a few curls framing her face. She smiled at him and he felt his face get warm. "I was just going to put the mugs away for you," he said as he turned around to hide his red face.

"Oh, that can wait. You have to go get ready."

"Ready? Ready for what? And why are you dressed so nicely?"

Adrienne smiled and took from behind her back a picnic basket. "We're going on a picnic. It's the perfect day for it; the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and I packed bread for-."

But Erik had passed her and sat down on the couch with a disappointed look on his face.

Adrienne walked over and sat down next to him. "What's wrong Erik? Don't you want to go?"

Erik looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know Adrienne. The last time I was out in public, besides last night, was when Madame Giry brought me to the Opera House. And I was a young boy then. I don't know if I can take all those people out there."

Adrienne reached over and rested her hand on his. "It's all right Erik. No one will look at you. And even if they do, it won't matter. I'll be there. Please, it's the perfect day. I promise you that it will be fun."

He looked up at her. She wanted to go so badly, he could tell. It would be hard for him to hear the whispering and muttering, but seeing her disappointed face was just too hard to bear.

"All right. I'll go."

Adrienne smiled and stood up. "All right, go get changed and you can wash up. I'll be down here, waiting."

Erik stood up and grabbed his clothes from the day before off the coffee table. He went up the stairs to her bedroom. He looked in the mirror above her dresser. The mask had slipped a little during the night, exposing some burnt skin on his forehead. He quickly straightened the mask and took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"There is a park right down this street. It's never crowded on a Tuesday. We can eat our lunch, feed the ducks in the lake, and I brought a surprise; I can't tell you what it is yet."

Adrienne and Erik were walking down the street. It was not very crowded, but whenever people did pass, they briefly looked at him and kept walking. He was starting to get nervous. His first time out in public in many years and it was not starting out good. Adrienne must have sensed his fear because she touched his shoulder for a moment. He looked down at her hand and then her face. She smiled lightly which brought a smile to his face. She put down her hand and continued to talk. "I packed some fruit, vegetables, cheese and crackers, and a little bit of sausage I had left. Are all of those things okay for you?"

Erik nodded silently as they walked on. Up ahead, he could see the green grass and knew they were approaching the park. He was apparently correct because Adrienne said right at that time as they stepped on the grass, "Yes, here's Edwards' Park."

Erik had to admit; it was lovely. There were small groups of people here and there reading, playing, or talking. Trees were planted in random points in the ground and provided shade to those who wanted to read, write, or paint. Ahead of them was the lovely, sapphire lake. The sun shone on it, making tiny points of light reflect off it. Ducks were near the edge, waiting for some food to be thrown to them.

Adrienne and Erik walked forward, looking for a place to sit. "Do you want to sit in the shade or the sun?" asked Adrienne.

"The shade," Erik replied. It would be harder to see him in the shade. They came upon a beautiful cherry tree, whose blossoms were just starting to fall a little bit. Adrienne excitedly pointed to it and they both sat down underneath the pink flowers.

They pulled out the food and began eating their delicious feast. Adrienne had really gotten into it. The food was amazing and neat and she had placed a perfect, little blanket inside the basket. "I wish you would sing for me some time," Eric said quietly as he bit into a strawberry.

Adrienne uncomfortably shifted her feet. "I just…it's hard to sing so quickly again after not singing for such a long period of time. Don't get me wrong, I want to…it's just…it's too hard." She swallowed a grape and looked up at him. "I wish you would sing for me some time too."

Erik nodded. "I will."

"But your mask-."

"No, I will not show you my face." He smiled.

Adrienne shrugged. "I figured you would say that."

They sat for a while longer, finishing up the food. They never stopped talking. Erik felt so normal in front of her. She never let her eyes linger even for a tiny bit on his mask. They were laughing at a story about Adrienne as a child when a blossom fell right into her red hair. She turned her head slightly to look at it without making it fall off. "Oh, it's beautiful. I don't want to take it out."

"Here, I'll make it better." He reached over and tucked it behind her ear. "Now it looks even more beautiful than before." He grinned that one, smooth smile of his that made Adrienne blush every time. She looked down at her hands and changed the subject immediately.

"Hey, time to feed the ducks." She pulled out a loaf of bread from the basket. They both stood up and walked to the edge of the lake. As soon as the ducks saw the loaf of the bread in Adrienne's hands, they came closer and started quacking loudly. Erik laughed and Adrienne handed him half the loaf.

He tore the bread in small pieces and threw it to the anxious ducks below. It was so amusing to see the small ducks fighting over the scarce food in front of them. Adrienne and Erik were laughing together at the scene before them. Adrienne kept peeking glances at him out of the corner of her eye.

The first time she had seen him, he was a mess. His eyes were filled with tears and he looked like he hadn't slept in a week. It was amazing how quick Erik got over Christine. _"I hope he's over her."_ Erik looked over at her and caught her looking at him. She turned away and blushed.

Erik smiled. He knew that he should not find Adrienne's embarrassment amusing but she was so adorable whenever she turned that bright, red color. He turned back to the ducks and finished off his loaf of bread. All the ducks, now satisfied, swam toward the middle of the lake and Erik and Adrienne went back to the basket in the middle of the blanket.

Adrienne reached in the basket with a mischievous look in her eyes. "Ready for the surprise?"

Erik sarcastically shuddered. "Do I want to know?"

Adrienne laughed and pulled out a kite made of brown cloth and tied together with a red tail. Erik laughed as she handed it to him. "Adrienne, this is great. Did you make it?"

She nodded her head. "It was easy. It only took a day or so."

"You didn't tell me you could sew. You sing, play piano, sew; is there anything you can't do?" Eric looked at her.

She blushed. "Yes, many things. Now, come on, I want to fly it!" She sprang up from the blanket. Erik was starting to slowly get up but Adrienne ran back over to him and grabbed his hands. "Come on, slow poke!"

"Hey, clam down!" They ran to the middle of the park where there was plenty of room to run and fly the kite high into the air. The wind felt so good on Erik's face. He hadn't been outside in so many years. It was like being a child again. He started to laugh with Adrienne as they lined up, ready to fly the kite high into the air. Adrienne was holding the kite above her head and Erik was facing her with the string in his hand.

"Okay, start running and I'll let go of the kite!" yelled Adrienne to Erik about thirty feet away from him.

"Okay!"

"Ready!"

"Ready!"

"Go!" Erik ran, holding the string behind his right shoulder. He felt Adrienne let go and he looked over his shoulder to lift the kite as high in the air as he could. It faltered for a second, looking like it was going to fall down, but soon a gust of wind hit it and it rose into the air. They both cheered and Erik stopped running. He let a little more string out as Adrienne ran over to him. "It worked! Look at it, it's perfect!" She looked up at the kite as Erik looked at her.

He couldn't help himself. She was so beautiful. Her eyes were shining with glee as she stared up at the kite above her. Erik wished more than anything that he could get the image of Christine out of his head every time he looked at her. He looked back at the kite before she caught him looking at her. The wind was moving the kite back and forth in rhythm with the trees next to it. It looked so joyful, how it rocked back and forth. It put a smile on Erik's face. Unconsciously, he started to hum "Angel of Music" to himself. He didn't realize he was until Adrienne looked over at him.

"What?" he asked.

"You're humming."

"I am?"

"Yes…it was lovely. Don't stop." She looked back up at the kite as he continued to hum the lovely tune. He didn't stop till Adrienne started to pull the kite back in. Once it was all the way in, they started to walk back to their basket.

"Adrienne?" Erik said as she was putting away everything.

"Yes?" she asked, stopping her work.

"I just want to thank you for this. It was really nice. I haven't been outside in the fresh air in years. Thank you."

Adrienne nodded and smiled to herself the whole time she was packing the picnic basket.

By the time they were back at Adrienne's house, it was two' o'clock. Adrienne went to the closet to put the picnic basket away as Erik sat down on the couch. "So, what do you want to do now?" asked Adrienne as she came over and sat down next to him.

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know." They sat in silence for a moment until Erik spoke again.

"Adrienne, I can't just stay here. This is your house and I'm intruding. I should go into town and find a place to stay."

"With what money Erik? You have nothing. If you go into town, they will not let you stay anywhere and I won't have you sleeping on a park bench anymore, okay?" She laughed quietly. "I don't mind you staying here."

Erik smiled weakly. "Well, I feel I have to do something to pay you back for all this."

Adrienne thought a moment. "Maybe there is something you could do for me."

Erik looked up at her, puzzled.

_There you go! This chapter was kinda dull to me but the next one is gonna be better. Sorry I ended it on a cliffhanger, I had to. Next chapter is going to have the surprise for how Erik can repay Adrienne. I'll hopefully update it soon, school is kinda stressing right now. Thanks for reading guys!_


	4. Lessons and StarGazing

_Hey! Sorry guys that I haven't written a while. I'm also writing a "Pirates" story and I'm in school and stuff so that is taking up my time. Well, here's the fourth chapter! This one has got a little bit of star-gazing in it!_

Lessons and Star-Gazing

It was the next morning when Erik began voice lessons for Adrienne. They were both still in the clothes that they slept in and the sun had been shining for only two hours. The air was slightly crisp outside and fogged the windows of the house. Erik sighed as he sat down at the piano. It had felt so long ago when he had actually sat down at the piano and played a song. He lightly trailed his fingertips across the keys and felt the power of the music soar through them and travel through his whole body. Tears sprang to his eyes immediately, as they always did whenever he played his music. Adrienne was close by, watching him get situated to this new change for him.

_"It's been so long for both of us in different ways. For him, it has not but it feels like he has not played for most of his lifetime. For me, it is real. I have not sung in so many years. Maybe I should not have asked him to give me voice lessons," _Adrienne thought to herself nervously as Erik brushed off the scarce dust on the keys with the sleeve of his coat. He slowly lifted his index finger and placed it over one key. He hesitated before bringing it down and letting the soft note ring through the house. Adrienne smiled with joy as that one key broke the ice and Erik started playing a random tune. She let him play for a little while, staring at the look of pure joy and determination on his face as his fingers soared over the keys.

When he finally finished, he turned towards her and smiled. "I'm ready."

"All right," said Adrienne as she started forward to stand next to him but he reached his hand out and stopped her from walking any further.

"The question is though, Adrienne, are you ready?" Erik asked her with a look of pity in his eyes.

Adrienne quickly answered, "Yes of course I am, why would I ask you?" She almost said it too bitterly for Erik looked slightly offended. He forgot it and placed his fingers back on the keys. He did a scale for Adrienne to repeat in her singing voice. "Do as I do." And he opened his mouth to sing as he played the tune. His strong, low voice echoed through the house, almost frightening her, but amazed her. Adrienne felt chills rise up her arms and Erik turned to her once again. "Your turn."

Adrienne took a deep breath in but was immediately interrupted by Erik. "You're breathing wrong."

"What?"

"You're breathing wrong. Your stomach is supposed to be inflating when you breathe in and deflating when you breathe out."

"Was I not doing that?"

"No you weren't." Erik reached towards her and places his hands on both sides of her waist. "Here, breathe in."

Adrienne tried to breathe in by deflating her stomach but found it very difficult. "Ah, that's hard."

He smiled at her. "Yes, it can be difficult. Always remember, though, that breathing is the most important aspect in singing. If you do not breathe right, you will not sing right. Fill your whole diaphragm with air when you breathe in, all right?"

Adrienne nodded nervously. Erik's hands were still on her waist and her face was beginning to turn red. He looked up and smiled and moved back to the piano. He played the tune once more and turned to Adrienne. "Okay, now."

Adrienne breathed in fully, remembering everything Erik told her to do and she opened her mouth to make it as tall as she could and sang, "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah," on the major scale.

It was like a door had been opened inside her heart that had been locked for so long. Her voice was beautiful and rang through the house, just as Erik's did. Chills sprang up her arms and legs and a smile spread across her face. Erik turned towards her and smiled. "I'm very proud of you Adrienne."

"Thank you Erik."

It was lunchtime by the time the lesson was over. They had agreed that they would only go on for an hour, but Adrienne had forgotten how wonderful it was to sing, as did Erik. He had taught her many ways to improve her sound and breathing and had sung to her many songs that he had written in the Opera House. By the end, they were laughing and not shy at all about their voices. Erik stood up from the piano and covered it. "Well, that was a very spectacular, first lesson." He smiled at her.

Adrienne modestly smiled and said quietly, "Thank you Erik. You do not know how much this means to me."

"I think I have an idea." They both stood there, smiling at each other in silence. How perfectly they both understood each other. That was why it was so easy to talk to one another without getting nervous.

Finally Adrienne spoke up, "All right, time for lunch, what would you like?" They both walked over to the kitchen and Erik sat down at the wooden table.

"I would go for anything at the moment. I am pretty hungry."

Adrienne bustled around the kitchen for a couple minutes and got out some cheese and crackers from one of her cabinets and set it down on the table. "Here you go, not much, but I hope it will do."

"Of course it will," Erik said, reaching out to take one.

The two sat at the kitchen table together, laughing and talking once more. "Erik, you got the idea of one of your songs from a mouse eating cheese on the floor?" Adrienne asked, laughing.

Erik laughed also. "Yes, it was just a small tale of how he got the cheese and how it tasted. It actually took me quite a long time."

Adrienne laughed again, her laugh ringing through the whole house. "That amuses me in so many ways."

Erik watched her laugh. Her smile was wide and sincere. Her green eyes were alive with joy and she made him feel so alive too, just like when he sung. It was hard to look at her though, because every time he did, he thought of Christine and haunting memories came back to him. He stopped smiling immediately when he started thinking of her. Adrienne must have noticed because she stopped laughing and reached her hand forward to his.

"Is everything okay? What are you thinking about?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Erik said, trying to shake the subject off.

Adrienne sighed and leaned back on her chair. "I know what it is that you are upset about Erik."

Erik looked up at her. "I had a feeling you would know."

Adrienne smiled at him and said, "I know the most wonderful thing that will get your mind off of her."

"What is that?"

After having dinner and waiting for just about an hour, it was the perfect time to walk to the park they had been to the day before. It was a bit chilly outside as Adrienne locked her front door and they headed to the park with nice, warm coats on.

"Adrienne, what are we doing at nine' o'clock at night?"

She shushed him and giggled and she did not speak at all until they had stepped onto the grass of the park. "Okay, are you ready?" Adrienne asked Erik as she stopped in the middle of the field, staring at him with excitement in her eyes.

"What is it you are overexcited for?"

She leapt down onto the grass and laid down on her back, gazing up at the starry heaven above her. She sighed with relief and only stirred when she realized Erik was not lying beside her. She leaned up on her elbows and looked over at him. "Well, are you coming to lie down beside me or not?"

"Why should I?" Erik asked with his hands in his pocket.

"It will get your mind off everything, trust me." And she lay back down on the grass to continue her star-gazing.

Erik laughed to himself before walking over to the vacant spot next to her and laid down on the itchy, yet surprisingly, satisfying grass. "This is nice," he said quietly, looking up above him. It was amazing how many stars could fit in the sky. It looked like fairy lights above the two of them, making them feel small and forgotten. And yet, it made them feel complete and secure, lying next to each other, looking at the wonders above them.

"It's beautiful, is it not?" Adrienne asked turning her head to look at him.

"It is," Erik responded.

They laid there in silence for about five minutes before Adrienne spoke up. "Erik, will you ever show me what is behind that mask of yours?"

Erik shook his head.

"Oh, why not? I swear I will not laugh."

"I know you will not laugh."

"Then why torment me this way?"

"It is not an easy thing to do, uncover myself. I feel naked when I do it; that is why it happens very scarcely. Trust me Adrienne; you do not want to see." She frowned in a cute way, making Erik laugh. He scooted closer to her and he saw her flinch a small bit.

They lay there in silence again, the wind sighing around them every few moments and the toads in the pond making their song. Erik reached out his hand to stretch and accidentally stroked Adrienne's hand. He felt her hand flinch and pull back a small bit. He found himself wanting to hold it, so he reached for it again and enclosed his fingers around hers. The warmth her hands held made him completely forget that it was a chilly night. Her skin was smooth and nice and he caressed her palm with his thumb. She looked over at him with fear and wanting in her eyes. He looked back with the same exact feelings mirrored in his eyes. They stared at each other, both aware that they were getting closer and closer. They were so close; Erik could see the small freckles perfectly under Adrienne's eyes. He opened his mouth to lean forward to kiss her.

"Wait," she whispered frantically.

Erik's heart dropped and he opened his eyes to look at her. Her face was scared and curious. She looked up at him with question in her eyes. "We should not do this Erik. You and I both know this. It is not right. You're not over Christine; I should not rush you into this." He could still feel her warm breath on his face and they were still embraced into each other's arms.

Although he wanted to deny it as much as he could, he knew he shouldn't. He was still in love with Christine and playing with Adrienne's emotions was not the right way to get over her. He was very fond of Adrienne though, but it was just too soon to start anything with her yet. He cared for her and the last thing he wanted to do was break her heart for not loving her as much as she expected. He nodded his head and moved back a couple of inches. She smiled slightly and lay back on where she was before.

She whispered quietly, "That does not mean we can never be together; it is just for the moment Erik."

He looked over at her with a smile on his face. "I know Adrienne. I know."

She smiled again and held her head up to look at the sky one more time. "Well," she said, standing up and brushing off her dress, "it is about time we got home." Erik stood up as well and they started walking down the street towards her home.

There was an awkward silence as they walked. They both did not want to talk about what had happened, because it is a big deal to kiss someone for the first time. The came to the front door and Adrienne got out her key. The opening of the door was relieving because it was so warm to the weather outside. They both dropped their things and took off their coats and hats in silence. "Well…I guess I will be going to bed now," Adrienne said, standing in the middle of the reading area.

"All right, good night then Adrienne," Erik said, towering above her.

Adrienne started walking away, but she hesitated and came back quickly. She opened her arms wide and gave Erik a great embrace and he held her close. He laid his head on hers and she tightened her grip on him. Her hair smelled of the crisp outdoors and the earthy scent of the grass she lay in. She was so warm and comforting and it was heart-breaking when she finally let go. "Good night Erik." She walked up the stairs, staring at him all the while with a smile on her face.

"Good night Adrienne."

_So close to a kissy! But no cigar! Sorry about that. Next chapter has A LOT of drama! Please keep leaving me some reviews and get ready for chapter five!_


	5. Is It Time To Let Go Yet?

_Hey there! This chapter includes a big surprise so get ready for it! Well…there's kinda two surprises so it's pretty exciting! Here it goes!_

Is It Time To Let Go Yet?

Erik awoke to the sound of pots and pans banging against each other in the kitchen. He slowly opened his eyes and stretched his arms up. He let out a soft groan and Adrienne heard him. "Oh sorry Erik, did I wake you?" She walked to the couch with water on her hands and she was wearing her nightdress.

He sat up and shook his head, still half asleep. It was not easy for him to wake up in the morning. Adrienne smiled and said, "Well, I'm just setting out some breakfast, do you want some?" He looked over at the kitchen table and saw that fruit and biscuits were laid out on the table. He nodded hungrily and stood up. "Come on, sit down. The fruit is fresh and I just pulled the biscuits out of the oven," Adrienne said piling food on a plate for Erik. He sat down in one of the chairs and Adrienne set the plate in front of him. "There you go, enjoy."

Erik knew why she was acting so lively and happy. She was trying to cover up for the awkwardness that had occurred the night before. She had denied him of a kiss when they both knew they wanted it. He was not embarrassed but he could tell that she was trying very hard to avoid his eyes. She sat down across from him and began eating. He sat there, staring at her. She kept chewing happily and stopped when she realized Erik was not eating. "Is anything wrong Erik? Do you not like the food?" she asked nervously.

"You know that is not it Adrienne," Erik said quietly.

She blushed and looked back down at her plate. "I don't know what you're talking about Erik. Start eating, it's delicious."

"Adrienne," Erik said it so firmly that she was forced to look up. "I do not want our lives to be awkward now. What happened last night was extreme, but I don't want this to ruin our friendship. I'm sorry I tried to kiss you. I know that it was not what you wanted."

Adrienne made a noise, almost like a scoff. Erik looked at her in surprise. She blushed once more and replied, "I never said it wasn't what I wanted Erik. It was just not right. We both know that."

Erik laughed bitterly and said, "Well you could have fooled me with that embrace you gave me right before you went to bed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Adrienne with anger and shock in her tone.

"Nothing. Let's just eat this breakfast and get ready for your lessons." And so they continued the only meal that they had had together that had not been enjoyable.

It was lesson time. They had both changed into their everyday clothing and were downstairs by the piano, warming up. There was still a little bitterness as they sang together because they were not laughing as they usually did. Erik taught her with many thoughts in his head. _"How does she know how I'm feeling about Christine? She does not know anything. If she had wanted me to kiss her so badly, then why did she deny me? I give up on figuring out what is going on inside her head."_

Adrienne opened her mouth and let the notes fill the room, but just like Erik, many angry thoughts were filling up her mind. _"He thinks, just because he is handsome, that I'm going to let him kiss me and let him win. I will not have that as long as he stays in my house. He is such a typical male. The minute I allow him to kiss me, he will get bored with me and go back to Christine. That is why I will not let him have the honor."_ They finished the scale they were practicing and Erik took out the song that she was to sing.

"I wrote this song many years back. I think it will do fine with your range. Since you have the voice of a soprano, it should sound lovely." Erik said this with as much professionalism as he could.

"Sounds great," said Adrienne bitterly. Erik played the first verse for her first while she listened. It was lovely and sad and it was about love.

"Your turn, repeat the first verse back to me please," Erik said, tapping the beat out for her with his foot as he played the tune.

She took a deep breath and started singing the song. She put all of her emotions of that day into the song. Her voice rang out beautifully and she reached the high notes so wonderfully, that her voice did not quaver once. After she finished the section, Erik turned to her. "That was lovely Adrienne…very lovely."

Adrienne heard the hesitation his voice. "What? Was there something wrong with it?" she asked, almost too bitterly.

Erik turned around, anger on his face. "I am your teacher; I am allowed to tell you if something is wrong with the way you sing or not. And right now, when you were singing the song, your throat was not opened all the way and your voice sounded clenched."

Adrienne scoffed. "I sang that perfectly and you are aware of it. You are just trying to find any excuse for me to sing poorly."

Erik stood up and towered above her. "That is not true! I know what it is that is needed for a perfect singing voice and what you just did was not perfect!"

"I apologize for not being perfect!" Adrienne said sarcastically.

"Don't scoff at me Adrienne. I don't have to give you lessons. I don't have to sit here and listen to you sing as if you belong in the Opera House."

"How dare you! I'm letting you stay here! You can go back out on the street for all I care! I don't have to listen to you commenting me on how I can't sing 'perfectly'."

"Well, you can't! That is why I am here! To help you sing perfectly. You open your mouth expecting angel's voices to come out of it! Well, there are no angels! You're not perfect!"

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not Christine!" This last statement rang through the house and the moment Adrienne had said it, she regretted it. Her eyes filled with tears. "Forget it; I don't want to take these lessons anymore." She turned away quickly and began to run for the front door. Erik immediately walked after her. She reached for the doorknob of the house but Erik caught her arm first.

He spun her around and did not wait for her to speak. He pressed his lips against hers and felt her freeze. After a moment, she fell into the kiss also. There was so much passion as they held each other, letting go of all the emotion into that one kiss. The anger and the jealousy vanished into it and they were both caught up in the heat of the moment. It seemed like the world around them had vanished for the moment and that they were the only two on the face of the planet. They had both wanted this for so long and it was finally happening. For what seemed like five minutes time, they broke apart, both of them breathing heavily. Erik caressed her face with his gentle hands and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him and kissed him gently on the lips once more. They embraced and Erik kissed the top of her head. "I don't want you to be Christine," he whispered softly.

Adrienne pulled back to look up at him. "You are perfect the way you are Adrienne," Erik said, stroking her cheek. "I did not mean all those things I said. Your voice is lovely."

Adrienne laughed and shrugged. "No one is perfect," she whispered back.

Erik pulled her chin up so that she was staring straight into his eyes. "You are." They both smiled and kissed once more, knowing that it was going to be a lot less awkward living together.

They were through with dinner and were sitting together on the couch. Adrienne was lying in Erik's arms and he was combing her hair with his fingers. They were both silent, but there were no words to be said. The moment was great. The fire was crackling and the sound of the wind outside pounded against the house. Adrienne broke the silence. "Erik?"

"Yes Adrienne?"

He felt her smile against his leg. "Will you show me what is behind your mask?"

He chuckled and answered, "No."

She sat up suddenly to look him in the face. "Why not?" she asked with a puppy dog face.

He smiled at her. "I already told you why. I'm sorry."

She frowned and he smiled once again. He kissed her on the nose which made her laugh quietly. She lay back down on his lap and he continued to play with her hair. They sat a minute longer until Adrienne spoke again. "Christine has seen you without your mask on," she said with slight bitterness.

Erik stopped stroking her hair and spoke back calmly, not wanting to fight. "That was not my choice." He felt her sigh heavily and she relaxed. He continued to stroke her hair, but then he asked, "Do you want anything from town?"

Adrienne sat up and looked at him. "No; why? Are you going?"

He nodded. "I wanted to get some more clothes. I can't wear the same thing everyday."

"Well, why don't you go in the morning? It's late."

"It's fine. It's never crowded at night. Besides, it's only eight' o'clock. The shops will still be open."

"Well, all right then. But hurry back."

"I will." He kissed her on the cheek and she stood up for him to get off the couch. He grabbed his coat off the kitchen table and walked to door. He turned around and said, "I'll be back soon."

Adrienne nodded and sat back down on the couch.

Erik opened the front door and felt the cold wind hit his face. He covered his face with his coat and shut the door. There were not many people walking on the street as he passed by. It was probably because it was a cold, windy night and everyone was indoors, sitting at the fire. As he walked, he was thinking about the kiss with Adrienne. It had been a wonderful kiss of course and he had a great amount of feelings for her, but he could not help thinking of Christine. The kiss with her had been passionate too, even more passionate than the kiss with Adrienne. He cursed himself for thinking that, but it was the truth. _"It was right. It was the right thing to do to kiss her. We both wanted it and it was right,"_ he thought to himself.

_"Then why do you feel so wrong?"_ the tiny voice at the back of his head whispered.

Erik arrived at the square and saw the clothing shop lit up on the right side of the street. He hurried towards it and opened the door to feel the warmth that lingered inside. He sighed and folded the collar of his coat down to feel the heat. The owner of the shop smiled at him from behind his desk and went back to helping the person who stood in front of him. The man's eyes had wandered on Erik's mask for a moment, but he was used to it. It was not normal for an everyday man to walk around with a mask on. Erik smiled back and started walking around the shop, looking at the shirts and pants that lay on the tables. He came across a plain white shirt with ruffles on the sleeves and decent neckline. He picked it up examined it.

"Can I help you sir?" asked the owner of the shop, limping over with a cane in his hand.

"Yes. I'm trying to buy more clothes that would last me a while. Do you think this would fit me?" asked Erik.

The old man looked at the fit of the shirt against Erik. "Yes, that would certainly fit you. Were you looking for something else?"

"I think that is all I need for now. If I need more, I'll come back another day." He smiled at the man and they both walked over to the desk where Erik was to pay for the shirt.

The man started figuring the price for the shirt when the door of the shop opened again. Erik quickly glanced over, but did a double take when he realized who it was that had just opened the door. His heart skipped a beat and he dropped the coins in his hands in shock.

There was no mistaking the beautiful, brown, wavy hair or the petite, yet curvy body of the woman Erik had been trying to forget for so long. Christine came running into the shop with tear stains on her cheek. She looked around the shop and then spotted Erik. Her eyes opened with shock, but then tightened as tears began to fall again. She walked over quickly and embraced Erik with all her might, her tears falling on his coat.

_Drama! Well, there's chapter five. Again, hope you guys liked it. Next chapter has some more drama and depression in it, so get ready for it!_


	6. Falling In Love Over and Over Again

_It has been a while since the last chapter but don't worry! I will make this chapter nice and long for you guys! There is a little drama in this one so I hope you enjoy!_

Falling In Love Over and Over Again

As the cold tears of Christine fell onto Erik's coat, he felt the warmth spread up his body as he held her in his arms. He was still. There was nothing to do. He had dreamt of this for so long; to see Christine again. She smelled of the fresh air outside and he felt the cold still lingering on her skin. Her body shook with sobs and she buried her face into the shoulder of Erik. He sighed deeply and rested his head against hers. The only thought that was in his head was to hold her and comfort her for whatever reason she was crying for. After a couple minutes, Christine started to calm down. She stopped shaking and she started breathing heavily to catch her breath. She let go of Erik and wiped her tears of her face. She looked up at Erik with a look on her face that said, "You were right." Erik nodded and brushed the hair out of her face.

"Come on, Christine. Tell me everything." He smiled at her and grabbed her hand. Erik quickly paid for the shirt and then the two walked out of the shop together. Christine was still silently crying as Erik led her to a bench and they both sat down. He let her let her tears out before putting a hand on her knee. She looked scared and apprehensive; like she wasn't ready to tell him what had happened. He timidly asked, "Christine…what happened?"

She put her hands over her face and kept shaking her head back and forth. She wasn't ready to tell him. He leaned closer to her and whispered, "You can tell me. I swear I will not get mad."

She looked up at him with a weak smile on her face. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "You have always been so good to me, Erik," she said, wiping away another tear.

Erik smiled again and waited for her to speak. She finally leaned against the back of the bench and took a deep breath. "Everything was perfect. After we left the Opera House, Raoul said it was important for me to move into his mansion. That excited me. He was already making plans for the wedding and was just as excited as I was. He took my mind off the Opera House. I had lived there since I was a child and he could see the pain in my eyes when we would pass by it in his carriage. He always tried to cheer me up or take my mind off it. It would never work. I constantly thought about it. I thought about you too," Christine said quietly, looking up at him.

Erik started down at her in surprise. "You thought of me? Why?"

She shrugged. "I broke your heart. I left the Opera House without a proper goodbye. That was putting a lot of weight on my shoulders for the next couple days. I felt guilty for leaving so abruptly. Raoul could see the changes in my attitude. One day, I was excited and happy for the wedding. The next day, I ignored him and his plans. He always had his parents over for dinner. It was his way of making us look like a perfect couple. When they came over, they saw us as a happy family. When they left, I was alone; even when Raoul would hold me in his arms." Erik shuddered at these words. He could not stand the thought of Christine being held by the imposter.

Christine continued; her voice much stronger. "Soon, I could not stand it any longer. I needed to go back to the Opera House. One day, when Raoul was out into town, I went back to see Meg and Madame Giry. I knew that he was going to be gone for a long time, so I ordered a carriage to take me to the Opera House. I was so nervous. I knew that if Raoul found out I was there, he would do something horrible to me. It would ruin everything for the wedding and our relationship. I got to the Opera House and made sure that my hood was covering up my face. The moment I knocked on the door, Madame Giry was there; like she had been expecting me. She smiled and embraced me and she got Meg to come over and see me also. It was like I had never left. My other ballet friends came over and we laughed and chatted. I had missed it more than I thought I did. Soon, Madame Giry and Meg started getting quieter. They knew there was a reason why I was there and they waited patiently for me to take them in a safer place to tell them.

"Eventually, my friends started to part away from me and I said goodbye to them all. I asked Meg and her mother to come to my old dressing room so I could explain to them everything that was happening. When I told them of what Raoul had turned in to the moment we left the Opera House, they were shocked and angry. I told them how he did not want me to come back to the Opera House and forget everything that had happened there. Meg then asked what he said about you." Christine looked at Erik nervously. "I told them that he wanted me to forget you also. That you were just a dream that never happened. Meg then stood up and walked over to my old night table next to my old bed. She opened up a drawer and walked over with a mask in her hands. She handed it over to me and said that it was yours. She had found it when you had left. She thought it was best to put it in my room since I was the one you had loved." Erik stared down at his feet in shame. Bringing back these memories was embarrassing and painful for him. Christine reached over and took his hand in hers. He looked up at her.

"I still have your mask to this day. I carry it with me wherever I go." And with that, Christine reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the white mask that had hidden Erik for most of his life. He stared down at in shock and Christine looked at him with a slight smile on her face. "Go on; put it on." Erik looked at her briefly before reaching out his hand and taking the mask. It was warm and as still as white as it had been since day one. He tried hiding his face as he took of the new mask and laid it on the bench. He took his mask and put it against his face. The phantom of the opera smiled and turned to Christine again. She smiled. "There you are. That's the old Erik."

Erik finally found his voice and spoke quietly, "What happened with Raoul?"

Pain crept into Christine's eyes as Erik asked her this question. She calmed herself down before answering. "It was tonight when we got in the fight. We were both eating dinner, silently as usual. Right in the middle of our meal, Raoul stood up and walked over to where I was sitting. I looked up at him with curiosity on my face and asked what he was dong. He stared at me a minute and then…with all his might…he slapped me across the face."

Erik gasped and one tear fell from Christine's eyes. "How could he do that to you Christine?" Erik whispered with anger etched in his voice.

"He found the mask. When I sleep, I lay the mask in the night table on my side of the bed. Raoul never goes in there so I thought that it was the safest place to set it. I was wrong. I must have been sleeping when he found it. After he slapped me, he told me that I was lucky he did not burn it. I asked him where it was and he slapped me again. He told me that that was the last question that I should have asked him. He said that I should apologize for going against his word and lying to him. That's when we started yelling at each other. I told him he had no right for telling me what to do and telling me to forget my past. He told me that I was his fiancé and that I should do what he told me to do. I screamed with all my might; letting all the emotions out I had kept in for a long time. He said that I was to go there one last time and that was to bring the mask back. I disagreed and he slapped me again. He said that if I kept the mask I would never forget Erik. I said I didn't want to forget anything at the Opera House. He stared at me in shock and I told him I was leaving. He said that he would not stop me, but if I left, I would be sorry. I went upstairs to find the mask. It was lying on my night table. That was the only thing I took with me. I ran into town to try to find some things to wear at the Opera House because that was where I planned on staying. And then I found you." She smiled at him and Erik felt his heart start to quicken. "You were the one person I needed to see." She leaned against Erik and he kissed the top of her head.

"Are you nervous about Raoul finding you?"

"I am safe in the Opera House. What about you; are you still staying there?"

That was when Erik suddenly remembered Adrienne. His heart sunk. She was waiting for him at home. He had said that he would be back soon but it had been at least an hour since then. He sat up a bit straighter when he thought of this. Christine noticed him stiffen because she asked, "What's wrong?"

He looked down at her and took a deep breath. He could not tell Christine. He loved her too much to tell her that. She was finally back in his life. He had waited for this and now it was coming true. She was lying in his arms and saying how much she had missed him. Raoul was an enemy to her now. He sighed. "Nothing is wrong. Yes, I am staying at the Opera House."

Christine nodded and relaxed again. "I guess that means you can give me lessons again."

Erik smiled, but thoughts were still racing through his head. _"What should I do about Adrienne? I told her I'd be back soon. If I go to the Opera House tonight she will get worried." _Christine sighed and buried her head deeper into his shoulder. _"I can not lie to myself. I still love Christine with all my heart. If I go with her to the Opera House tonight then I can go to Adrienne's tomorrow and tell her everything that happened. She will be so angry. I can't believe it was only a few hours ago that I kissed her._" Guilt was wearing on Erik's mind.

After a while, Christine spoke again. "Erik?" she said quietly.

"Hmm?"

She sat up and looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm so sorry. What I did to you…I don't know what you must have felt when I did those things to you."

Erik shook his head to tell her to stop but she interrupted him. "No…I have to say this because I have wanted to tell you this for so long. First, I took your mask off in front of all those people, and then I chose Raoul instead of you. I just…I don't know what to say. I never should have done that. You had cared for me for so long and I was just too foolish to see that. You loved me more than Raoul ever has. He is a liar and a fake and you are honest and genuine. I really am sorry Erik. You were right about everything. He only loved me for my voice and for the chase. You loved me for everything that I am. I have been so stupid." Tears started pouring from eyes.

Erik moved closer. "Shhh," he said, wiping away her tears. She looked up at him. He whispered to her, looking deep in her eyes, "I have loved you since the moment you stepped into the Opera House. Everything about you enchanted me and I could not help but wish you were mine. I forgive you for everything that you have done. I love you too much to lose you again."

Christine was still crying; but they were now tears of joy. "I love you too," she said, her voice quivering.

Erik suddenly got goose bumps all over his body. He grabbed her chin and lifted it up to get her to stare into his eyes. They looked at each other for a moment and then Erik leaned in to kiss her.

The kiss was phenomenal. Everything Erik had cursed to Christine was gone as they shared a very, passionate kiss. He leaned her against the back of the bench and he let his hands tighten against her back. She put her hand up in his hair and put the other one on his arm. Christine was his and she was now kissing him with all her might. As they broke apart, they both smiled at each other. Christine whispered, "I think it's time to go back to the Opera House."

Erik smiled and they both stood up, hand-in-hand. As they walked through the square of the street, Erik quickly looked back at the bench. Guilt, once again, came over him as he realized that it was the same bench where he had met Adrienne. He forced himself to turn away and Christine and he walked down the street, ready to enter the welcoming Opera House.

It had been the most touching, yet awkward, moment of Erik's life as he and Christine walked into the Opera House together. Madame Giry was in the front hall and Christine ran over to hug her. Madame Giry asked what Raoul had done and Christine explained. Erik then walked over and it took a moment for Madame Giry to realize that he was standing there. She looked up at him in shock and Christine grabbed his hand. "And then I ran into Erik. I asked him to let me stay with him in his old bedroom."

Madame Giry looked from Christine to Erik, a look of deep question and concern on her face. She finally nodded and Christine reached forward again to hug her. "I promise that this is the right thing to do. Nothing bad will happen," Christine whispered to her."

Madame Giry nodded and again and then looked up at Erik with a smile on her face. "How are you Erik?"

Erik smiled back at her. "I am fine." Christine smiled and then they started to walk to her old dressing room.

"This is the way to get down there," Christine laughed as they stepped into the darkened room. She lit a lamp on one of her dressers and then picked up a brush. She ran it through her hair, smiling at Erik the whole time. Erik smiled back. "Is something wrong?" Christine asked, noticing the hesitation in Erik's smile.

"No," Erik lied.

"Are you sure?" She walked over to him, concerned.

"Yes."

"We do not have to do this tonight if you do not want to."

"I do…I do...just don't worry about me. It just feels weird to be back in the Opera House."

Christine frowned. "I thought you said that you stayed here anyway."

Erik mentally kicked himself. "I do… I just usually stay down in my dungeon. I haven't actually been up in the Opera House for a long time."

Christine smiled at him sympathetically. She spoke quietly and sincerely. "I know this is tough for you to be back here, but I think that it is right for you. Everyone will accept you much more now."

A bit of iciness crept through Erik. He tried making his voice sound innocent. "Why…because _you_ accept me now?"

Christine must have heard the cold in his voice because she said, "I don't mean it like that. I'm sorry, I truly am. I just think that people are going to get to know you better. You've changed. What has made you change so much?" she asked.

Erik thought in his head. _"Adrienne…"_ He said aloud, "I just think that losing you made me learn a lesson. I've learned to deal with people around me and be much more polite to them now."

"Well…that's good." She paused before asking, "Do you want to go downstairs now?" she asked.

Erik nodded and they walked to the mirror where Erik had watched Christine many times before. Christine pushed it on one side and it creaked open to reveal a large hole for the both of them. Erik let Christine go in first and then he walked in after. They walked down the long, haunting hallway full of candles and mice. Memories flushed back to Erik as he thought of the songs they had sung here together. "Phantom of the Opera" had been sung here, the first time he had brought Christine to his room. Their feet crunched on the dirt floor as they finally reached the boat. They got in together and then Erik took the oar.

"This brings back many memories," Christine said.

Erik nodded and began to row towards his lair. The chandeliers lit on the top of the ceilings were causing strange reflections on the water. Erik was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself. This brought back haunting memories. He rowed for about three more minutes when they finally felt a thud as the boat hit the side of the stairs leading up to his lair. He jumped out first and reached his hand down to Christine to help her out. She smiled at him and allowed him to lift her up. They both walked up the stairs.

Everything was the same as he had left it. The piano still had his old music on it, lying as if it hadn't been touched in a long time. The curtains were drawn back on each room. The model he had made of Christine was still standing against the wall of his curtained closet. Tears sprang to his eyes as he looked at the mirrors he had destroyed. He walked forward to one and gently touched the broken glass. Christine came up from behind. "How did that happen?" she asked quietly.

Erik responded back, emotionless, "It was my way of forgetting my angel of music." He turned around to look at her. She looked scared and timid. "I was so lonely when you left Christine. I had no one to turn to."

She grabbed his hands with hers. "I know Erik….I'm so sorry for that. I don't know how to make you forget all about that. The only thing I can say is I'm here for you now. Just forget everything that has ever happened here. Forget the lies…the music…the heartbreak. Just start over…with me. I promise not to hurt you again Erik. I swear to that." Erik looked down at her, tears still in his eyes. He knelt down to kiss her again.

It was more emotional than the last kiss. The last time he had kissed her in this room was one of the best, yet worst, moments of his life. They stayed rooted in one spot, both letting their hearts out into the kiss. Thoughts of Adrienne filled his mind as he kissed Christine. She was probably starting to really worry by now. Erik started to kiss Christine more roughly and shoved her against the wall. She gasped from the sudden passion of Erik. She smiled at him though and started to undo the buttons on his shirt. He stared down at her, with an expressionless face. Christine didn't seem to notice because she pushed the sleeves off Erik and the shirt fell off of him. Erik kissed her again and they moved around the dungeon, losing bits of clothing as they went. Soon, he picked her up into his arms and she kissed his head over and over again as they walked into his bedroom. He then plopped her down on the bed and got on top of her. She kissed him this time. Adrienne was probably putting on her coat to go to town to find him now. Erik tried to shake the thought out of his head, but that was all he thought about for the rest of the evening, even when Christine fell asleep in his arms.

Erik woke up suddenly. He looked around the room to see his old surroundings. He saw the monkey contraption lying on his dresser across the room. He sat up and ruffled his hair a bit. He looked down at Christine. She was still asleep, situated perfectly underneath the blankets. He slung his legs over the bed and stretched his arms up. He got up quickly to put on some clothes. When he finally got some pants on, he walked out of the bedroom to find his shirt. It was lying on the ground, next to one of the mirrors. He put it on, yawning quietly. He went over to his cabinet which was full of stolen food from the kitchens of the Opera House. He picked a simple, green apple and sat down at his table to bite into it. As he ate the apple, he thought about what had happened last night.

_"I can't believe it happened. I wanted her to be with me for so long and now she finally is. I wanted her to be the one to do that with me. Right?"_

Erik shook his head, cursing himself for thinking that. _"Of course I wanted her to be the one to do that with me. I have been waiting for that for so long. It felt right…it was right……Right?"_

He glanced over at the piano sitting at the edge of the water. By looking at the piano before, he always thought of Christine, but now he couldn't get his mind off of Adrienne. _"What is she doing right now? I wonder what she did when she figured out I wasn't coming home last night. She's probably nervous…or mad…either one."_

Erik tried to stop thinking about what Adrienne was thinking but now, but he couldn't help but feel awful for leaving her without anything. He sighed and threw his apple into the depths of the water. _"I have to see her today. I have to tell her what happened and explain everything to her. I can't pretend I'm forgetting her. She's on my mind constantly."_

Erik stood up and went to grab his coat from his bedroom. It was time to explain to Adrienne exactly what had happened.

_There is it! A little bit more drama for you guys! I'll try to update soon!_


	7. Tears and Lies

Tears and Lies

The sun had barely crept into the sky as Erik walked quickly down Adrienne's street. Red was creeping over the hills far off in the distance as dawn made its first appearance. The air was crisp and puffs of smoke were emitted from Erik's mouth as he breathed nervously. His heart was beating fast against his chest and he kept imagining the soon-to-be conversation with Adrienne. _"She's going to be mad. She'll want to know everything; where I was, who I met. I'm not ready to tell her yet. I can't see that look on her face when she discovers what happened last night." _Erik was taken by surprise as he saw Adrienne's house standing in front of him. He looked up at her bedroom to see that there were no lights on. _"She is still asleep. Maybe I should come back later." _Erik turned to leave, but his conscience spoke to him again. _"You have to tell her. She has a right to know. You kissed her hours before you met Christine." _Erik's heart sunk and he turned back around to face the front door. He hesitated before knocking loudly on the wooden door. Immediately, a light went on in Adrienne's room, as if she had been expecting that knock. He heard her scatter around her room before descending quickly down her stairs. The front door creaked open and Adrienne was standing there, with a shawl wrapped around her, and her red hair down in ringlets. Her face lit up as she saw who was standing in front of her.

"Erik!" She rushed forward and embraced him. Erik was warmed by her shawl as she threw her arms around his neck. Guilt surged through him as she held him for a moment. She finally let go of him and beckoned him inside. "Come in, come in! You look freezing!" He smiled a weak smiled and stepped into the brightness of her house. She bustled around the kitchen, grabbing a pot. "You want some tea? I'm sure you do, after being out all last night. Are you cold? What happened, Erik? I mean…I know you said you were going to town for a little bit; I didn't think that it would be all night."

"Adrienne," Erik said quietly enough for her to hear him. She stopped running around and turned to look at him. "I think that you should sit down."

"What's wrong, Erik?"

"I think you should sit down." He pointed towards the couch before walking over to the fireplace and sitting on the ledge protruding from it.

Adrienne put the pot away and walked over with a look of perplexity on her face. Erik was so nervous to tell her and he was looking down at his feet to avoid her scared eyes. "What happened?" she asked timidly.

He looked up at her. "I never thought this would happen."

"What?"

"I never thought," he hesitated, "that I would ever run into Christine again."

Adrienne's eyes widened with shock. "You saw her last night?"

He nodded and looked back down at his feet. Here came the tough part of the story.

"And what happened, Erik?" Her voice was slightly shaking, almost like she knew what Erik was going to say.

"She was crying, telling me stories of Raoul and how he had beaten her."

"Oh, that's horrible."

"He also told her to forget everything about the Opera House. The dancing, Madame Giry and Meg, the singing….and me."

There was now suspicion in Adrienne's voice as she spoke. "What happened with Christine, Erik?"

He looked up at her. Her face was tight and her mouth was a straight line. Her eyes were full of emotion, though, as tears sprang to Erik's eyes. "I don't know how it happened," he said, his voice cracking.

"How what happened?"

He took a deep breath to calm his rapid heart. "I slept with Christine last night, Adrienne."

There was silence as they both sat there. Erik let his head fall back down to look on his feet and Adrienne sat upright in the couch, her face emotionless. She suddenly sprang up and started to walk towards the kitchen. "Adrienne," Erik said, standing up to follow her. She stopped in her place, her back facing Erik. "Adrienne, I can explain everything." He reached forward and touched her elbow to turn her around.

"_Don't _touch me," she said, dangerously, pointing her finger at him. She started walking backwards away from him.

"Please….Adrienne…" he said, walking towards her again.

"Get out of my house, Erik."

"Adrienne…"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

"Can't I just tell you what happened?"

Tears were now streaming down Adrienne's face as she screamed at him. "I don't want to know what happened. I don't want to hear a single word from you. The only thing I want to hear is the door slamming behind you! Get out!"

"It happened so quickly, it scared me…"

"I told you, I don't want to hear it, Erik!"

"I can not just leave without explaining myself."

"It will not help you in the slightest."

"She was crying all over me, what was I supposed to do?"

"Oh…poor Christine! She's crying so I'll just take pity on her and _sleep_ with her!"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh _yes_ you did, Erik. You meant every single word you said. You find pleasure out of wooing girls when they are crying and weak, don't you?"

"Don't act this way, Adrienne."

"I can act any way I want. You have no say in this!"

"I was in love with Christine for so long. When I saw her last night, it was like no days had passed."

This took a hard blow for Adrienne. "SO ALL THOSE DAYS WITH ME MEANT NOTHING TO YOU?"

"Adrienne, they meant the world to me…."

"You kissed me, Erik! Did you forget about that?!"

"Of course I didn't! How can I forget about that?"

"Usually, when someone kisses a person, they have feelings for that one person."

"I do have feelings for you."

"Then you wouldn't have gone out and started with Christine!"

"I already told you; everything happened so quickly."

Adrienne's face was glistening with tears as she shook her head, looking him straight in the eye. "Everything you have said to me…it has all been lies."

"No…no…I did not lie to you."

"Yes, Erik, yes you have. You told me that I helped you move on from Christine. You told me that I did not have to be her."

"You don't have to be her."

"Apparently I do…to win your heart, Erik." They stood there in silence, staring at each other. Adrienne turned around and started to walk away before she turned around again, her voice much stronger again. "She doesn't deserve you."

"What?"

"Have you forgotten everything that she has done to you?"

Erik turned away. "You're talking foolishly."

"No I'm not!" She walked briskly to step in front of him to look him directly in the face. "You told me yourself everything that she has done."

"Just leave it be, Adrienne."

"She left you, Erik. After all the songs, the duets, the roses, she left you, Erik. For Raoul. After spending years and years of wishing to be with her, Raoul won in the end, Erik. She exposed you to the world, she lied to you, and she played with your heart."

"Stop it, Adrienne," Erik said angrily.

"You sang your heart out to her and it meant _nothing _to her, it meant _nothing."_

"Stop it."

"To you, she was an angel, to her, you were a ghost."

"STOP IT!" The last words rang through the house as the two were both breathing heavily from the constant yelling.

After a moment of silence, Adrienne's voice was quiet again and her eyes were filled with tears. "I know how you feel, Erik."

Erik looked up at her and immediately became calm. A tear fell from her eye and landed on the ground in front of him. "Adrienne…"

She turned away from him and walked towards the sink. "Just leave, Erik. There is nothing to be said."

He stared at her back as she crouched over the sink, letting the tears from her eyes fall down the drain. Her body was shaking with sobs and Erik looked at her with much sympathy in his eyes. He reached for his coat lying on a table next to the front door and slid it over himself. He hesitated, looked at her one last time, opened the door, and stepped out into the fresh, cold air.

"Where have you been?" Christine asked, getting up from the table to go to Erik.

He stepped out of the boat and said, "I was out for a walk. I didn't expect to be out for so long; I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. He almost flinched as her soft lips touched his cold cheek. "Are you alright?" she asked, looking at him concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little hungry."

"Well, sit down and eat. I was wondering where you were when I woke up this morning." She walked over to the cabinets where the food stock was and grabbed some bread and jam. Erik sat down at the small table, thinking of everything that had just happened.

_"She doesn't know anything about me. How dare her bring up all the horrible times I had with Christine. She had no right to do that." _Although Erik cursed Adrienne in his mind, his heart was telling him she had a right for saying all those things to say.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look distressed." Christine asked, setting the food down in front of Erik.

"I'm fine, just thinking of something." He reached for a piece of bread and Christine sat in the chair across from him.

"Are you thinking about last night?" she asked, staring at him.

He stopped his chewing and looked up at her. "Do you want me to think of last night?"

Christine shrugged and reached for a piece of bread. "It depends."

"On what?"

"If you regret it or not."

Erik's heart dropped as she said these words. He knew it was right, that he had wanted to do it for so long. But in the bottom of his heart, he knew that he regretted it. He betrayed Adrienne and did the worst thing he could ever do to her. _"But Adrienne thinks she knows everything. Christine is good for me. Adrienne could never make me happy the way that Christine does." "_But Adrienne lit the light that you needed after Christine blew it out," Erik's conscience fought back.

"Erik?" Christine asked nervously. "Do you regret it?"

Erik looked up at her and saw her eyes were wide and scared. He shook his head and smiled. "Of course I do not regret it. It was great."

Christine smiled with relief. "I'm glad you think so, because I think that it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me." She went back to eating and Erik sat in his place, his mind still having an argument with his heart.

"A party?"

Christine was bustling around Erik's bedroom, looking for some spare necklaces and earrings to go with her satin, emerald green dress. "Why are you so intimidated by that word?"

"Christine, I have not seen or talked to people like the people in the Opera House for a long time." Erik was standing by the door, holding Christine's black shoes in his hand.

"Just talk about your music and what you have been doing the past couple months."

"I haven't written music in a long time and the past couple months, I was sword-fighting a man to win your heart."

Christine stopped and turned towards him with sympathy in your eyes. "Oh Erik, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Forget it," he said, turning towards the lake. He heard her walk up behind him and she then put her hand on his shoulder and rested her head against his back.

"Please, Erik. I promise you that it will not be as bad as you expect. I will stay with you the whole night if you wish me to. These are my friends and family. They will not disrespect you in any way. They wouldn't do that to me." He knew she was looking at him with her puppy dog eyes and that made him get chills along his arms. He sighed and rolled his eyes before nodding his head. She squealed and embraced him from the front. "Thank you so much! I promise that I will repay you." She ran back into his bedroom and started bustling around it again.

He sighed disappointedly and walked over to his closet by the kitchen. He looked inside for a nice outfit to wear to the ball. It was going to be held in the entrance hall of the Opera House and many people were going to be there. _"I wouldn't be surprised if Adrienne was there",_ Erik thought as he pulled out nice, black dress robes.

The hall was covered in beautiful decorations. Statues and plants were everywhere in sight and beautiful draperies were hung against the wall. Erik was holding Christine's arm and she was gazing around the dance floor, looking for her friends. She really looked beautiful. Her hair was up in a bun with a few ringlets of curls falling out of it. Her skin looked radiant in her green dress and her dancer body fit perfectly inside it. She was smiling here and there to random people passing by, and each time, they would gaze at Erik curiously. He looked just as nice as Christine. His hair was slicked back underneath his mask and his robes looked absolutely perfect on him. His heart was beating as he saw the enormous mass of people around him. Christine immediately led him to the dance floor where they could dance in front of all of her friends. They giggled and pointed and Christine smiled all the more. Eventually, Christine got more and more separated from him. Old friends started coming up to her and asking her of her life and her new man. At ten that night, Christine was completely gone, in the corner with all her friends, whispering and giggling. Erik stayed near the back, watching the other couples dance on the floor. How he wished that Christine was there with him. He felt much more uncomfortable when he was alone. He looked towards the front door and saw another couple enter. He started to look away when he did a double take towards the couple again.

Standing in a beautiful, sea blue dress, was Adrienne. She was arm-in-arm with a man Erik had never seen before. Her hair was half up and in curls also. Her smile was exquisite as she walked through the doors. Her makeup was perfectly done and her skin was a beautiful tone. The man she was with seemed almost shocked to be there with her. Erik stared at her in shock as she started to walk towards him. He turned around quickly to hide his face. He needed to find Christine right away. He looked towards the "gossip corner" and saw her still talking with her many friends. He ran over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "What is it, Erik?"

"Let's dance," he said, out of breath. Her friends giggled and Erik grabbed her hand to lead her out to the dance floor. He saw Adrienne and her partner dancing in the middle. He decided to lead Christine close to them, but not close enough to be obvious. They started the dance and the whole time, he kept his eye on Adrienne. She was looking around the room, with a determined look on her face. Finally, she looked towards his direction, and Erik turned away just in time to pretend he had not seen her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her grab her partner's arm and walk over to where he and Christine were dancing. "Oh, Erik, I didn't know that you would be here," Adrienne said coldly. Her partner was staring at him, confused.

He stopped dancing and Christine looked over. "Well, Adrienne. You know that I stay here at the Opera House, so why wouldn't you expect me?"

"Well, usually men don't move on so quickly from place to place…if you know what I mean." She smirked at him and he felt his insides go cold.

"Who's this you've got with you?" Erik asked, pointing at the man next to her.

He leaned forward to answer but Adrienne interrupted him. "This is Patrick. He is a neighbor of mine. When I heard of the party, I immediately asked the nicest man I know. So, I knocked on his door to ask him and he accepted." She smiled at him and he did also.

"How sweet."

Christine touched Erik's elbow. "Who's this, Erik?" she asked curiously.

He put his arm around her and said smugly, "This is Adrienne, Christine. She is an old friend of mine."

Christine smiled at her. "Pleased to meet you."

"Right you are," Adrienne answered back bluntly. Christine looked taken aback as Adrienne kept on talking. "I hope you two are having fun. I mean, I bet you two always have a lot of fun. Especially when you're not supposed to, kind of like forbidden fun." She kept her eyes on Erik the whole time she spoke.

"Well, you wouldn't really know if we have fun or not, would you? Because you don't really know everything, right?"

"Right."

"Fine."

"Wonderful."

"Perfect."

"Fine."

They all stood in silence, many couples swarming around them, dancing their hearts out. Adrienne finally spoke again. "Well, Patrick and I are going to dance some more. He's a fabulous dancer."

"I assume Christine and I will also. She was a ballet dancer for this Opera House, you know?"

"Oh, that's great. Why did you stop?"

Erik narrowed his eyes down at her in anger and Christine cleared her throat. "It's a bit of a long…and embarrassing story."

"Shame. Well…it was nice meeting you. It was also really nice seeing you again, Erik. Have a good time dancing and being merry." Her and Patrick turned around and walked a couple of feet until they started dancing again.

Erik kept staring at her, every part of him cold with anger. Christine looked up at him. "How did you meet her?"

"Old family friend," he answered. He turned towards her. "I'm a little heated. I think I'm going to go outside for some air."

"All right."

He leant down and kissed her on the cheek. He prayed that Adrienne had seen that. He walked through the crowd of people and opened the front doors of the Opera House. The moment the cold air hit his face, he calmed down. His heart rate slowed down and he exhaled deeply. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was sprinkled with stars. He sat down on the steps and put his head in his hands. The still night was disturbed as he heard the heavy clinking of high heels against the stone behind him. He looked up and saw that it was Adrienne walking out of the entrance hall, breathing heavily. She too sighed out of relief the moment she was outside and then saw him sitting there on the steps. Her face tightened and she turned around to walk back inside. "I bet that was a lot of fun for you," he said, standing up.

She turned around, biting her lip in frustration. "What do you mean?" she tried asking innocently.

He got up close to her. "Don't pretend that you ran into me on accident. You came here on purpose. You got someone to come with you to make me jealous and to embarrass me in front of Christine."

She opened her mouth in shock and protest. "So, you think that I can't find a man to bring to a ball? It surprises you that men actually find me attractive."

Erik scoffed. "Oh please, Christine. I know he finds you attractive. I just know that you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know very well what I mean."

"Apparently, I don't. I would not have asked."

"You want Christine to hate me. You want her to leave me so then your dream will finally come true."

"How dare you! You always blame me for saying I know everything. You are such a hypocrite. You know nothing about the situation."

"Oh, don't I? I saw you trying to show him off to me." He put on a good impression of Adrienne's voice. "Patrick is a fabulous dancer and he is the nicest guy I know."

"Look who's talking." She made her voice lower. "Christine used to be a ballet dancer for the Opera House."

"That reminds me. You deliberately reminded her of leaving the Opera House."

"I did no such thing."

"Do not deny it!"

"Well…even if I did, doesn't that make sense? She stopped dancing and left the House…and you…just to be with Raoul. And you're not bothered by any of this?"

"Not at all," he answered stubbornly.

Adrienne exhaled sharply. "Ugh, you are such a typical male. You do not make any sense at all."

"And you do?"

"Well, at least I know when someone is right for me and when someone else is a complete fool to be with."

"_You_ make no sense whatsoever. First moment, you say you never want to see me again, and then you come to the Opera House with I guy I have never seen before."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're too arrogant to know the difference."

"And you're too dramatic to deal with anymore!"

"Good, then stop dealing with me! I'll leave with my _date_ and never come to the Opera House again! There! Does that make you happy?"

"Very!"

At that moment, Patrick stepped outside. Adrienne and Erik immediately became quiet and tried to make it seem that they were not just yelling at each other. "Uh, Adrienne? Would you like me to walk you home now?"

Adrienne looked at Erik one last time. Her face said, _"Why do you have to play with my heart like this?"_ He looked down at his feet in shame and Adrienne looked up at Pat. "Yes, I'm ready, Patrick." Her voice was shaky and her face was emotionless as she stepped away from him. She walked up the stairs to him and he slipped on her nice, black coat. They started to walk down the stairs.

"Good night, Erik," Patrick said politely.

Erik looked at him in surprise and then nodded his head. Adrienne was looking at him with that same look she was giving him before. It made his head hurt to see it and his heart feel heavier and heavier. The couple walked down the remainder of the steps and disappeared into the shadows as they walked down the cobblestone street.

Erik sighed and turned to walk back inside. Christine was waiting for him the moment he walked in. "What was all that about?" she asked suspiciously.

"Did you hear any of that?" he asked nervously.

"No, but I saw you watch her leave."

He sighed in relief and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing. Just trying to solve an old problem we've been having for a while."

She nodded her head and they started walking around the dance floor. "Do you want to go back home?" she asked.

"Only if you want to."

"Yes, I do. I'm so tired from telling stories to my friends. You wouldn't believe how many of them are interested in you."

Adrienne kept talking and talking about the whole night with her companions, but Erik did not hear a single word she said. He nodded at times and smiled down at her if she started to laugh, but inside, he could not get his mind off the fight. Everything Adrienne had said about him was true; he could not deny it. He wanted to forget it so badly, but she was on his mind the whole journey through the mirror, across the lake, and at Erik's apartment.

_I'm not sure how many more chapters there are going to be. I know there are at least 3 more left! I might add more, so we'll see what happens! Hope you guys are enjoying and I really appreciate all of your comments! Thanks guys!_


	8. How to Get Over Someone

How to Get Over Someone

The sun shone in through Adrienne's open window unto her eyes. She woke up and stretched her arms up. _"The most awkward night of my life last night,"_ she thought to herself as she threw the covers off of herself and stepped onto her wooden floor. She walked over to her mirror and saw that there were still tear stains on her cheeks from crying over Erik last night. She sighed and wiped them off. _"I still can't get my mind off of him." _She put on her silk robe and walked down the steps to her kitchen. She put on a pot of tea and sat down at her kitchen table. _"Christine is beautiful. No wonder Erik is so in love with her. I could never compete with her. She is the love of his life."_ A knock sounded on the door that took her out of her trance. She jumped and stood up to answer the door.

"Adrienne!"

"Shannon!"

Adrienne's dear friend, Shannon lunged towards her and hugged her as greatly as she could. Shannon was an old friend that used to be her next door neighbor. Shannon had moved to another town about two hours away with her new husband. Her beautiful, dark hair fanned over Adrienne's shoulder and the two embraced as Shannon squealed. She finally let go of Adrienne. "I haven't seen you in two months!" she said.

Adrienne walked over to the table and invited Shannon to sit down. "I know. It's been quite a long time."

Shannon shed her coat off and sat down. She was so full of energy and pep. Her cheeks were bright red and she was breathing heavily, craving for some new gossip. "So, what's been going on with you? Any new men?"

Adrienne saw this coming. This was always the first question Shannon asked when she came to visit. Adrienne's heart sunk and she turned away to meddle with the teapot. "Not really." She tried to make her voice strong, but it came out shaky and sad.

"What's wrong?" she heard Shannon ask concerned.

"Nothing."

"Adrienne." Shannon came up from behind and put her hand on Adrienne's shoulder.

Adrienne could not hold it in any longer. All the emotions that she had been feeling for so long finally got the best of her. She burst into tears and Shannon immediately hugged her. She cried onto her shoulder and felt comforted being held by her. Shannon patted her back and let her cry all of her tears out. After a while, Adrienne calmed down and started to take big breaths. Shannon smiled at her and sat her down at the kitchen table. She let Adrienne get quiet before asking, "So, what was his name?"

"Erik." Shannon took a handkerchief out of her purse and handed it to Adrienne. She took it and blew her nose.

"How did you meet him?"

"I found him on a park bench and invited him to stay with me."

"Oh, well…that's different."

Adrienne laughed weakly. "He had nowhere to go. He had just left the Opera House after a woman had left him for another man."

"Oooo…that's never good."

"I know, I know. I was stupid for bringing him in. But he was so kind and gentle. I had no idea why Christine left him. He is my ideal of a perfect man. He can sing, he can act, he knows how to treat a lady, and…"

"And he broke your heart," Shannon added on quietly. She didn't say it to be rude; she said it so Adrienne would not have to speak the truth.

Adrienne looked down at her hands on the table. Shannon reached forward and took one. "You don't have to tell me if you feel too weak. What happened?"

Adrienne looked up and saw true sympathy in Shannon's eyes. She sighed and started to tell the long story of what had happened with Erik.

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"Trust me; this is good for you." Shannon was putting Adrienne's hair up in a tight bun, causing tears to spring to her eyes. Adrienne was sitting on a stool in front of her mirror while Shannon made her beautiful.

"I went to a party last night though. And it didn't go well…as you know," Adrienne groaned.

"Well…Erik was at that one, wasn't he?" Shannon said with a smile.

"You mean…Erik won't be at this one?"

"Of course not! Who do you think I am?"

"Then why are we going?"

"To find you another man."

Adrienne's heart sunk. "You've got to be kidding!"

Shannon shook her head with a mischievous grin. "Shannon! I can't! I'll be a wreck. There are no men who would want to be with me right now."

"How do you know?"

"I just do! Besides…it's…it's too soon."

Shannon's grin faded. "Adrienne…I know that it hurts. I know that you just want to lie in your house all day, but you can not do that. Erik moved on, didn't he?"

"Well…yes, but…"

"And he didn't seem all that phased by it, did he?"

"Well…how do you mean…"

"And you want a much better man than him, don't you?"

There was a moment of silence as Adrienne sat on her stool, thinking. _"Better man? Is there such a thing? Sure, Erik slept with Christine, but before that, he was so nice and caring. How could I forget that in one night?" _All of a sudden, the memory of Erik bragging about Christine came to her mind. Her arms grew cold and she said aloud, "Yes, I want a much better man than Erik."

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The party was at a friend's house of Shannon. Shannon had many friends, so she was always one to go to parties. Shannon, her husband, and Adrienne walked through the front door into a beautiful front hallway. Shannon was arm in arm with her husband and Adrienne looked at the two of them with envy. The hallway was covered in beautiful marble with a large chandelier in the midst of the circular staircase. There was a large group of people standing around a closet where the coats were being held. They walked over to it and hung their coats on hangers and walked towards the ballroom where the party was being held. "This house is amazing," Adrienne said quietly as they walked into the ballroom.

Shannon nodded in agreement and let go of her husband. "I'll see you later, darling. Adrienne and I have some work to do."

Adrienne rolled her eyes as Shannon's husband kissed her on the cheek and walked away. Shannon grabbed Adrienne's arm eagerly and started walking around the room with her. She was still wearing the same dress she had worn the night before and she looked just as exquisite. There were many people, all of them looking fancy and proper. Adrienne felt so out of place as Shannon started to introduce her to her rich friends. "Oh, I know you're getting tired of meeting all women. I just can't seem to find a friend of mine that is well suited for you." Adrienne sighed as Shannon pulled her away from another girlfriend of hers. "Oh, there's one! Edward! Edward, over here!" Shannon reached forward to turn around a tall man standing amongst a group of older women. "Edward, I want you to meet my friend."

Edward looked down at Adrienne appreciatively and she was surprised to see that he was actually quite handsome. His hair was slightly long and waved at the end near his ears. He had a very distinctive nose, yet it was not large. His eyes were blue and large which matched the shirt he was wearing underneath his suit very well. His smile was genuine as he bowed slightly towards Adrienne. "This here is my dear friend, Adrienne. She's from town if you were wondering."

Adrienne offered him her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, sweetly, curtsying a small bit.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said smoothly, kissing the top of her hand. She smiled up at him and saw Shannon smile greatly out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, I'll let you too get to know each other a bit. I have to go find William." She smiled at Adrienne before disappearing among the crowd.

"So, she says you live in town," Edward started.

"Yes, about a fifteen minute ride from here."

"Oh, I live in town too."

"Really? Where?"

"It's actually the house next door," he said modestly.

Adrienne raised her eyebrows. Of course she knew he was rich from his clothes, but she had seen the mansion next door. It looked as large as a palace. "Oh, I saw the house. It is very beautiful."

"You really think so? It is not really my taste. I grew up in a rather tight house and I found that much more comfortable."

Adrienne smiled at him. He smiled back and pointed towards the dance floor. "Would you like to dance?"

"Sure." He grabbed her arm and laced his though hers. She saw Shannon before they began to dance and she was positively glowing when she saw the two of them together.

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Adrienne and Edward were walking outside in the crisp air. They were walking around the house. Adrienne had her shawl wrapped around herself. Edward was talking about a book he liked. "Have you ever read it?" Adrienne shook her head and he continued talking.

_"Edward is a nice guy. There is no doubt he is a gentleman also. He treats me with the most respect a man has ever shown towards me. That's more than I can say for Erik. Even though he sure talks a lot…and about boring things…I like him. He's nice." _Adrienne cursed herself for using such simple words about the man, but it seemed impossible to describe Edward with any other word.

"Adrienne?"

Adrienne looked up at him. "Sorry?"

"I asked if you were taking a ride in Shannon's carriage back to your house. If not, I'd be more than willing to give you a ride home."

"You live right next door."

He smiled. "It's no trouble at all."

Adrienne hesitated. "Well…if you insist."

"I do," he said shortly. Adrienne smiled and followed him towards the front yard where his horse and carriage were waiting.

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The carriage finally arrived at her house after what seemed like a thirty minute ride than a fifteen minute one. Edward had been talking the whole time and Adrienne felt like she could not get a word in. She thanked him politely for the dance and the ride and lifted her skirt off of her feet to help herself out. "Oh no, don't move. I'll walk you to your door." He quickly opened the door on his side of the carriage and scurried over to her side. She groaned and he opened the door and offered her his hand. She took it and stepped out of the carriage.

"Thank you," she said to the driver as she walked to her front door. Edward stood alongside her, smiling at her. "Well Edward, I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you so much for everything." She turned away and took her keys out to unlock her door.

"I would like to ask you something, Adrienne."

Adrienne closed her eyes and regained her posture before turning towards him again. "Yes?"

"Would it be too much to ask to see you again?"

Adrienne thought for a moment. She thought of how much he had talked, how much he had bragged, and how boring of a time she had had with him. Then, she thought of what Shannon had said. This was how she was going to get over Erik. By moving on with another man. Adrienne smiled at him. "Of course that is not too much to ask. Would you like to drop by tomorrow?"

Edward smiled. "Of course. I'll come around noon, if that's all right?"

Adrienne nodded. "I'll see you then." Edward quickly grabbed her hand and kissed it before running towards the carriage and hopping inside.

_"What have I done?"_ Adrienne thought as she waved at Edward who was waving eagerly at her from his carriage window.

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Erik was passing through town, looking to buy some food. It was about noon and people were bustling through the streets, completing their midday chores. The sky was gray, yet it was quite warmer than the day before. He finally came upon a stand set up in the street with fruits and vegetables being sold. Erik walked up to it and looked at the arrangement. He picked out a good assortment of different foods and paid for his load. He turned around to walk back to the Opera House. He collided right into the one person he thought he would not see for a long time. The fruits and vegetables fell onto the stony street and immediately became dirty. "Adrienne!" Erik exclaimed.

Adrienne had an apple in her hand after it had whacked her in the face. She looked angry, but then grew surprised when she realized who was standing in front of her. "Erik!" A man was standing next to her, arm in arm with her, who looked amused by the whole scene. Erik looked questioningly at him. Adrienne saw him gaze at him. Her face did not get as she got when she was introducing Patrick. She was expressionless as she said, "This is Edward. Edward, this is Erik."

Edward reached forward eagerly and took Erik's hand in his. "Pleased to meet you."

"Pleasure," Erik responded back.

"Why are you wearing a mask?"

Adrienne's eyes widened and she hung her head low. "Uh, I'm going to a party," Erik said, amusingly. Adrienne was obviously not attracted to this guy. Why was she going from guy to guy? He was getting a bit annoyed by this. "Adrienne, could I have a quick word with you?"

"What for?" she asked coldly.

"I just want to talk to you for a minute." Adrienne paused before unlinking arms with Edward and walking towards Erik. Erik grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stand that was about twenty feet away. "What do you think you are doing?" he whispered at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sure, Patrick was one thing, but now this guy. I mean, this guy is just a joke," he said laughing.

Adrienne's eyes grew cold. "He happens to be a very kind gentleman. That's more than I can say for you."

Erik's smile left his face. "Adrienne, I am so tired of all this. When are you just going to let it go?"

"How can I forget that you _slept_ with another woman? I can't just let it go!"

"I've already apologized! I tried to get you to understand what had happened, but you didn't listen!"

"I can't believe you're questioning me when _you_ were the one that ruined everything!"

"I might have ruined everything, but at least I know when to let things go. You're still trying to make me jealous. Why are you with this Edward guy? I know you're not attracted to him."

"You don't know that. I was with him last night. I met him at a party and he was great company." As she said this, her voice got a bit higher than usual and she looked down at her feet.

"Great company? I've never heard you use such small words before, Adrienne."

"Well, people change, Erik. I bet you have noticed the sudden change in Christine."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I've already tried to tell you that she should not be trusted, Erik. She will break your heart. I suggest that you break hers before she does it again to you."

"Christine loves me. She would never hurt me again." Now it was his turn to look down at his feet when he said these words. Adrienne stared at him until he was forced to look back up at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand you, Erik. Why did you have to give up something that was going so well?" Her eyes were sad and her voice was much gentler now.

He sighed before saying, "_Was_ it going so well?"

"I thought so." There was a moment's silence before Adrienne spoke again. "Do you remember the time we went to the park?"

How could he have forgotten? That was one of the best moments of his life. He remembered the beautiful sunny day that they had spent together. "Did that help you in anyway, Erik?"

"What do you mean?" he asked nervously.

"I mean, did it make you happier?" Erik was silent, but Adrienne kept talking. "I was sure that I had made a great impact on you. It was your first time going out into public out of choice. I saw you smile and laugh and I thought, 'Wow, I'm really helping this guy.' I just want to know if I did help you." Erik quickly looked up at her, but then, just as fast, put his head back down. Adrienne sighed. "I don't know. I guess I might have imagined it. I might have imagined this whole time together."

There was another moment of silence before Adrienne spoke up again. "I remembered when we were flying the kite, you hummed to yourself."

"I did?" Erik asked in surprise.

Adrienne nodded. "You had such a peaceful look on your face. I saw pure happiness in your eyes. I thought that I had made you forgotten all the pain you had ever felt. Did I?"

"Adrienne…"

"No…don't try to turn me down in a nice way. I just wanted to know if I made you happier than Christine has ever made you feel. I guess I've known the answer all along and I was just too in love to admit it."

"You loved me?" Erik finally looked up at her. Her eyes were glistened over with tears.

"I'm not going to pretend anymore, Erik. You're right. I'm not attracted to Edward; I wasn't attracted to Patrick. I _did_ use them to make you jealous. I don't know why; it obviously didn't work. You're still with Christine. I just wanted you to know." She looked so innocent, spilling out the truth to him, Edward standing twenty feet away. "If I ever see you again, even if you're walking down the street arm in arm with Christine…I'll stop and smile. That's all I'll do. I won't ask how your life is…I won't ask about your children…I'll just smile." She stepped towards Erik and kissed him on the cheek. Tears were now sliding down her cheeks as she stepped away from him. "Thank you for everything, Erik. Have a wonderful life." She smiled before turning around and walking back towards Edward.

Erik stood there, the broken bag in his hand, as he watched her walk away. Her red hair stood out in the sea of dark people as she left him. Her head was bent down and she did not look back once before she disappeared entirely.

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"What happened?" Christine asked, seeing the broken bag in Erik's hand.

"I ran into a woman and I dropped the food. I'll have to go out later to get some more." He sat down at the kitchen table and started straight ahead. Christine came over and sat down next to him, a concerned look on her face.

"Is everything all right, darling? You look upset about something."

Erik looked at her for a moment before asking, "Do you love me, Christine?"

She looked taken aback as she said, "Of course, Erik. I thought I've made it quite clear that I am in love with you."

"I mean…did you love me before you fell in love with Raoul?"

Christine paused and leaned against the back of her chair. "Well…I was so surprised by you…I mean…you came out of nowhere," she stammered.

"So…you didn't?"

Christine just looked at him with sad eyes and Erik stood up from his chair. "Erik!" She came up from behind and put her hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking away. "I didn't even know you were real until that night. For God's sake, you came out of my mirror in my dressing room."

"That's not the point. I just wanted to know if you loved me."

"Erik, I was _infatuated_ by your voice. You sang and I felt more alive than I have ever felt in my life."

"So…you're trying to say that you fell in love with my voice?"

Christine looked relieved when he said this. "Yes…yes…I fell in love with your voice."

"And my feelings, my interests, my thoughts…those weren't appealing to you?" he asked coldly.

She looked shocked. "No! I cared deeply about all those things. I mean, the first time you had ever talked to me was through song. That made a deep imprint on my heart." Erik had no response to this so Christine continued talking. "Listen, I don't know what has happened to you that has made you so bitter about the past. All I know is I love you now. These feelings will continue for the rest of my life. I was a fool before. I thought Raoul was a good man and that he would make me happy, but I was wrong. You're the only one that I'm supposed to be with."

Erik looked down at her and nodded briefly. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Well, how about I join you?"

"I'd rather be alone right now; sorry."

Christine looked hurt but said, "All right. I'll let you sleep for a couple of hours.

He nodded and walked through the curtain to his bed. He fell back on the bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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"Erik…Erik!" Erik woke up to see Christine nudging his shoulder. She was dressed in her nightdress that revealed a lot of her. "Can you move over?" she asked with a grin.

Erik said nothing and moved over slightly to the left of the bed. He felt Christine plop down and put the covers over herself. "Good night," she whispered.

"'Night," Erik grunted before closing his eyes. After a couple of minutes, he felt Christine move her body against his. She put her arms around his chest and sighed. Erik tried to ignore it and pretend he was still asleep. Christine hesitated before trying to get Erik to turn towards her. "What's wrong?" he asked, now facing her. All she did was smile and started to kiss him. He gently pushed her off of him.

"What?" Christine asked.

"I don't know if we should do this right now."

"Why not?"

"I just…I'm tired. I've had a long day."

"Well…this will be good for you."

"Christine, I just want to sleep right now. I'm sorry."

She took her arms off of him and moved to her side of the bed, her lips pinched together. She turned away and put the covers over herself. "Christine, I'm sorry."

She quickly flew herself back to face him. "Oh, of course you're sorry. You're always sorry."

"Christine, please keep your voice down."

"Why? You want to get some sleep?"

"I hate seeing you get upset."

"Can you blame me? The past two days, you have been acting so strangely. First, you feel like you can't talk to me. Second, you don't want to do anything at night with me. Third, you've been out of the house so much without me joining you. And lastly, you were acting _so_ strange at the party."

"How was I acting strangely?"

"You didn't want to talk to any of my friends…"

"Can you blame me? The only thing you were talking about was me. All your friends were giggling and asking where I've been this whole time. How can I tell them what I have been doing?"

"That's not all. That strange girl at the party!"

Erik's heart stopped. "What girl?"

"The woman that you were arguing with. What was her name? Uh…Adrienne! Her name was Adrienne. Don't you remember?"

"That was nothing. I told you; she was an old family friend."

"You were acting so strangely with her, though. Almost like you were jealous of the man she was with."

Erik scoffed. "Rubbish."

"All I know is; you're different. And I want the old Erik to come back."

"The Opera Ghost?" he asked bitterly.

"No. The man that comforted me on the bench after Raoul had beaten me. I miss that Erik." Her eyes glazed over with tears and Erik sighed.

He moved towards her and held her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I just…I don't know what I want lately."

"Don't you want me?" she asked, looking up at him.

Erik thought about it. _"Do I really want her?"_


	9. The New Show

The New Show

It was the next day and Erik was eating some breakfast at the kitchen table. Christine was still asleep and Erik was in deep thought. _"Why did I not want to hold her last night? Why do I feel so incomplete?" _His gaze fell over his piano that was sitting alone on the bank of the river. He sighed, put his food down, and walked towards it. Music was lying on top of the piano and he reached up to look at it.

It was a song from the play he had tried to complete only a short time ago. He looked at the notes and the words and found the urge to play them. He pressed his finger down on one of the keys and it rang through the whole chamber. His heart trembled and he continued to play the song. The power of the music took him away from his situation. He closed his eyes and let his fingers glide alone the notes and let the tune come into his soul. He was so caught up in the moment, he jumped when he heard a voice from down the chamber.

"Erik!"

He jumped from the piano seat and looked in the direction of the voice. His eyes widened in shock when he saw that Madame Giry was rowing down the river in a small boat. She waved at him and he watched her get closer and closer. She got to the shore in a couple of minutes and he reached down to help her out of the boat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. They walked over to the kitchen table and sat down while Madame Giry talked.

"Erik, I heard you playing. You sound magnificent. It is actually quite a coincidence that you should be playing again when I have come down here to tell you something."

"What?"

"_Hannibal _is waiting to be performed at the Opera House again. We have been rehearsing it while you were away. The main male part is played by a young man in the House. He has gotten ill over the past few days. We have tried to revive him, but it is no use. He will not be better in time. We need someone else to fill up his part." She looked at him seriously.

Erik laughed. "You can't be serious."

"Erik, you are perfect for the part. I know that you know all of the lines and songs already, because I have seen the music on your piano. Besides, you've gone to the show many times before."

"Madame Giry, I can't possible be in the play this early. I will not be good. I haven't sung in a long time."

"Even so, I know that your voice is as lovely as ever. You are the angel of music, Erik. You must be in the play."

"Please don't ask this of me. I am too nervous to be in front of all of those people."

"Since when are you nervous?"

"Since my face was revealed on stage in front of the whole audience."

"No one will know it was you. You can wear your mask. It will actually be better for the part anyway."

"He did not have an understudy?"

"No."

Erik was silent and was looking at his hands on the table. Madame Giry spoke again. "Erik, I know it is hard for you to come back to the Opera House so quickly. But you are the only one meant to play this role. You won't regret it if you join."

"Is Christine going to be in it?"

"I asked her to be a dancer. She definitely couldn't be the soprano after leaving the House."

"I see."

"Please, Erik. I promise that everything will be okay."

She was looking at him with pleading eyes as he stared up at her. He couldn't say no to her when she was looking at him like that. He rolled his eyes. "All right; I'll do it."

Madame Giry smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Erik. I can't tell you how excited I am for the opera now." She started walking towards her boat, but stopped. She turned around. "Where is Christine?"

"She's asleep."

Madame's face turned red and looked like she had regretted asking. "Oh, well, tell her I stopped by." She stepped into the boat and sat down. Erik gave her a push to get her off of the shallows. "Come up today, Erik, at about three' o' clock. We have rehearsals."

He waved to her and watched her leave the clearing before sitting down at the kitchen table again. He was lost in his thoughts until Christine came out of her room about fifteen minutes later. "Good morning," she said, walking over to the table.

"How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you. How about you?"

"Wonderfully."

"Brilliant." She sat down at the chair across from him.

"Madame Giry was just here."

"What? Why?"

"To offer me the main role in _Hannibal_."

Christine choked on the apple she was eating. "In _Hannibal_?"

"Yes. The man who was playing him got sick. She wants me to take his place."

Christine raised her eyebrows and continued to eat her apple. "Well, that's really something. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." There was a moment's silence before Erik spoke again. "Christine, I'm sorry about last night. I was upset. I had a lot of things on my mind. I hope that you can forgive me."

Christine smiled at him. "Of course I forgive you. I'm sorry that I overreacted. I was just in a bad mood last night."

Erik smiled at her and there was silence again. He finally stood up quickly. "I'm going to look over some of the music in the opera."

"Good idea. You should sing some of it for me."

"I will." He walked over to the piano and scrambled through the sheets of music for all the solos of Hannibal. _"This is it. I'm going to be the main role for the biggest opera. This is what I've always wanted."_

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It was the night of the show about a week later. Erik had rehearsed every day for about five hours. Posters were made and hung up all over the town. He had never felt this nervous in his life. He walked around the bedroom, pacing the floor. Christine had left early to practice her dance moves. "Meet me before the show. I can give you a good luck kiss," she had said to him, before taking one of the boats to go upstairs.

_"I'm going in front of all those people. What are they going to say? Will they like my performance? What if I mess up? What if I trip in front of everybody?"_ Erik stopped pacing and tried to calm himself down. He walked over to the dresser where his small monkey lay on top. He smiled to himself and walked outside the bedroom. He had to go perform, whether he was ready or not.

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Erik was waiting at the spot Christine had told him to. It was the place where she lit the candles for her father every night. He stared at up the stained glass window where an angel was painted. He sighed and looked around the room. This is where he had first seen Christine as a younger child. This brought back many memories. He shook them out of his head and looked down at his feet.

_"Where is she?"_ Erik thought to himself, walking to the door opening. As he walked over, he heard a giggle up the circular stairs to his right. Erik frowned, but started to climb up the stairs to discover who had made that noise. He climbed up the steps, higher and higher, until he reached the very top.

There was a large room where most of the old props and costumes were being held. Dresses and houses, beds and food, shoes and couches, were lying everywhere, a coat of dust on each item. Erik smiled at the antiqueness each prop held. He was looking at a particular teapot when he heard the giggle again.

He moved his head to the left to catch a glimpse of the person. He could see the back of someone, but could not tell who it was. He walked closer to the person, making sure not to make too much noise. The person was obviously not alone. _"They can not just giggle with themselves_." Erik walked even closer and saw that there were two people. They were against the wall, kissing each other passionately. When Erik stepped forward, a floorboard creaked under him. He cringed as the two people swung around.

Erik's eyes widened and he stepped back.

"Erik! Oh my goodness!" Christine stepped towards him. Her hair was wild and her lipstick was all over her mouth. She reached her hands out to touch him. He backed away, his body numb.

Raoul stepped out into the shadows with a nervous look on his face. Christine's lipstick was, also, all over his face. He was dressed nicely, obviously for the show. He timidly looked at Erik.

"Erik, I'm so sorry," Christine tried again.

"So this was your idea of a good luck kiss?"

"Erik, please let me explain."

"I don't want to hear it!" She flinched at the fierceness of his voice. "You lied to me, Christine! You told me you didn't want to _be _with him anymore!"

"Everything happened so quickly! He came to see me tonight! He wanted to apologize. He's my husband. How could I not fall back in love with him?"

Raoul stood there, staring at the two, with a guilty look on his face. Erik ignored him and continued to yell at Christine. "I can tell you how you can not fall back in love with him! HE BEAT YOU! He abused you, Christine! Did you forget about that?!"

"I know he did. He said he's sincerely sorry for doing that to me."

"And you think he'll stop?! You'll think, just because he promised to, that he'll stop?"

"Of course I do. I believe in second chances."

"Well, that shows how foolish you are!"

Christine turned red. "Never call me foolish! I know what I am doing. I would _much_ rather be with Raoul than you."

"How could you do this to me?! You've already done it before. Is your heart made of stone, Christine?"

"I know that I said I loved you. That was because I was lonely. I needed someone to comfort me from all the sorrow I was going through."

"So, you use me to comfort you and then the next day, you throw me back out into the street?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I…I…um…I don't know how to explain it to you," she stuttered. She looked back at Raoul, asking him for some advice. He just shook his head and backed up further along the wall.

"Don't bother, Christine." Erik's voice was much quieter now and Christine turned around in surprise. "I don't want to hear your excuses."

Christine stepped forward. "Oh, Erik, I'm sorry."

He held up his hand. "No…don't. I just want to tell you that this was one big mistake. I knew that I shouldn't have gone with you." There was a pause as Christine stared at him with sad eyes. "The truth is…I'm in love with someone else." Christine's eyes widened. "She is perfect for me. She loves me for me. She doesn't give up on me. She doesn't go against me. She is the only one that I am meant to be with. And you know something else? I did this to her. What you're doing to me…I did it to her. I left her to give you a second chance. She called me foolish for trusting you again. How right she was."

Her eyes got cold. "This wasn't the woman at the party, was it?"

"Yes…yes it was."

She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"She's more of a woman then you'll ever be." Christine stopped laughing and became serious. "Have a good life together," Erik said. He stepped forward and shook Raoul's hand. Raoul just stared down at it in shock. Erik walked to Christine and looked her in the face. "I regret ever meeting you. You are a horrible person. I hope that you learn from this later on in life." She stared up at him. He smiled amusingly. "Good luck in the show." He turned around and walked away from the woman that he had loved for most of his life. He smiled to himself, surprised that he didn't feel sorrow in his heart, but pure happiness.

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Erik was backstage, fully dressed in his costume. Crew was running back and forth, grabbing the props that they needed to put on the stage. Some of the makeup artists walked over to him and added a few more touches to the parts of his face that was exposed. All the while, Erik's heart was beating fast and he was looking down at his twiddling thumbs. He was about to go on stage. The show was going to start with him singing loudly in a grand parade. All eyes were going to be on him and he could not mess up.

"Erik," someone whispered from behind him.

He turned around to see Meg, Christine's dancer friend, standing awkwardly near the curtain. She smiled shyly and continued to talk. "Listen, I wasn't sure about you being in the show. I was nervous when my mother told me she asked you to perform." She paused for a moment. "But then I heard you rehearsing the other day and I have never heard such a beautiful voice before. You were meant to be this part. And I just want to say…good luck."

Erik looked at her in surprise the whole while she was talking. He then smiled and nodded at her in thanks. She smiled and turned around to walk back to the makeup room. _"I guess she does not know what Christine has done yet. She would have said something."_

Suddenly, a line of people walked in front of him and peered out of the curtains to see the audience. Erik looked in surprise and the hundreds of people sitting down in their seats and talking to one another. The other cast members talked nervously as they stood in front of them, ready to walk onto the stage. The curtain was still open a bit and Erik walked forward to close it. Before he slid the curtain shut all the way, he got a glimpse of red hair. He gasped and stood in shock as he saw Adrienne sitting in the third row of the audience. She was alone and she looked absolutely gorgeous in her finest dress yet. Erik closed the curtain and walked back to his spot. His heart was now beating twice as fast and he felt himself getting slightly woozy.

"Erik, I think that we should talk about this." Erik turned around and saw Christine standing behind him, dressed in her slave dancer outfit. He rolled his eyes and turned around to ignore her. "Erik, please! I don't want you to think that I am so kind of whore that just sleeps around with men."

"I have never thought that of you. I may have thought of worse things, but never that you were a whore." He heard her move closer to him and he held up his hand. "Christine, I have said all that I wanted to say to you. I do not love you anymore so do not feel that you owe me anything. Just dance in the show and forget everything that has ever happened between us." He paused. "I wasn't that surprised to be honest. Raoul is the patron. How could he not win your heart back?"

Christine said nothing, but it wasn't because she had anger. She felt guilt and walked away, back to her spot by Meg. Erik sighed with relief and watched the rest of the cast line up in front of him. He was going to be the last person to come on stage. Finally, after what had seemed like an hour, the stage manager came up beside the dancers and singers in the parade and whispered, "When the music starts, go on the stage immediately." There was a rush of movement as everybody got into their places and waited for the notes that would start the show.

The violins sounded as they tuned their instruments and there was a round of applause as the conductor came to his spot before the orchestra. The audience became quiet and all the instruments together tuned. There was a moment's silence before the song started and the opera begun. All of the cast members moved onto the stage and began the tribute to Hannibal. The soprano voice stuck out the most and Erik watched in fascination at the dancing and beauty of the set. The song was harsh and was loud as could be. The lights were bright and the costumes stuck out in bright colors. Erik looked down at his own and smoothed out the fabric. The song continued and Erik waited for the crescendo. That was going to be his big entrance. The voices altogether became quiet and pointed towards the place where Erik was standing. The violins stuck Erik's note and he kept it in his head as they got louder and louder. Finally, it was his cue and he stepped out onto the stage and held out his loud note and looked towards the audience. His voice rang throughout the House and chills glided along his arms. He never felt so alive as the spotlight shone on him. He held the note with such passion and courage and it soared out to the back of the room. The audience clapped at his amazing entrance and he smiled deeply inside. Tears came to his eyes but he did not show it as they continued the parade. He moved across the stage, followed by the slave dancers and servants. Erik watched them dance, but let his eyes linger to the audience for a moment.

Adrienne was staring right at him. She was not smiling, but she did not look surprised. Erik pretended to look straight through her to the audience in his character, but his heart shook when he saw her. He walked to the middle of the stage with the soprano and they both continued the song as loud as they could. The whole cast came together and looked out at the audience. The end of the song came and both Erik and the soprano held out their high notes. The violins became quiet and Erik let go of his note and let all the air out of him. The audience burst into applause and Erik looked at the soprano out of the corner of his eye. She smiled at him and they both went to their spots to continue the play.

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"Erik, you did wonderful," Mary-Anne, the soprano said to him as she came over and hugged him.

He smiled and replied, "You did wonderful also. I can not wait to hear your song in Act Three."

"And yours also. You will do great."

"Thank you." She smiled before walking to the makeup room to freshen up.

Erik was putting on another shirt for his solo. It was the big song. The song that made his character who he was. He needed passion and love to come out of the song and reach the audience. He needed everyone to feel what he was feeling. _"The first two acts went well, but this is the one that really counts._" He walked onto the stage which was held in darkness because the curtain was closed. He could hear the talking audience behind it and he walked to his spot. He hummed his notes to himself and watched the crew set up the fake trees and the night sky behind him.

"Two minutes, Erik!" the stage manager whispered at him from behind. "Get in your place!" He walked away too quickly to see that Erik was completely ready.

The crew stepped off the stage and mouthed, 'Good luck," to him. He smiled and took a deep breath. The audience clapped again which meant that the conductor was back. They ceased as the instruments were tuned. Silence once again, and then the sorrowful music started. The curtain was lifted and the lights shone onto Erik. He pushed his nerves away and held himself up straight. _"This is it."_

The song started and Erik began his solo. The song was about him leaving the one that he loved. He was in love with the character of Mary-Anne and he had to leave to go to war. He tried to show all of the pain that he was going through and all the courage he needed to be away from her. He moved around the stage, looking out at the audience all the while. His voice never quavered, because he thought of Adrienne the entire time he sung it. He thought of how he had left her after she had been so wonderful to him. He thought of how many beautiful moments they had shared together. He thought of how much he had loved her. He sang a strong, high note and it lingered in the air as the instrumental break began. The audience clapped for his last note and started to watch the orchestra.

He was supposed to stand by the side of the curtain as the orchestra played by itself. He took deep breaths to bring as much air as possible to his lungs. Most of the audience was looking at the orchestra, but a few were looking at him in awe. He looked towards Adrienne to see if she was one of those few. She was. She was staring at him, this time with tears in her eyes. She smiled as his eyes fell on her. Erik's heart trembled as he took in every bit of her eyes as they stared deeply into his. They shared a moment of complete understanding as Erik looked down on her mournfully. The violins started getting louder, getting to his part. He moved to the middle of the stage, his eyes still glued onto Adrienne's.

_"Fighting these tears won't help me forget. You brought me warmth and joy."_ He was singing this to Adrienne and she was soaking it in. Tears were streaming down her face. _"I can't stay for life; I need to move on. Let me cry no more!" _He started to crescendo, but he dared not take his eyes off of Adrienne. The audience must have seen that he was staring at someone, because everyone started to either look beside or look behind to see who Erik was looking so lovingly at. He ignored them and took a deep breath for his last line. _"I will never…stop…loving…" _The music paused and it became deathly silent. Erik took a deep breath and sang his last high note as the music chimed in with him. _"…you."_ It was quiet, but the highest note that Erik could hit and the violins quavered as he held it out as long at he could. He finally let it go and the audience burst into applause. Everyone stood onto their feet and clapped as loudly as they could.

Erik bowed down as low as he could and heard people shouting, "Bravo…bravo!" He smiled and stood up again. He looked over at Adrienne and she was smiling deeply at him. Her eye makeup was running and she brushed it off with the back of her hand. He looked at her before running his hand along his face. He was surprised to feel tears along his cheeks. He quickly brushed them off before bowing towards every part of the audience. He got chills as he realized all of these people had forgotten the phantom. He was just simply Erik now.

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Erik was in his dressing room, which was now filled with letters of gratitude and worthiness. He smiled at all of them as he read each one. It was an hour after the show and many people had come up to him afterwards and asked for his signature on a scrap of paper that had been saving for after the show. The cast and crew had cheered for him after he stepped off the stage. While he was taking off his makeup, Madame Giry had come up behind him.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you, Madame."

"I knew that you would do wonderfully." He smiled and looked down at his hands. She paused before speaking again. "I know about Christine, Erik."

He looked up at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "I saw her leave with Raoul." Erik nodded and looked down again. "Are you upset about it?" Madame Giry asked him.

Erik thought about it for a moment. He did not Christine to feel alive anymore. The only thing he needed was to give up on her. He had smiled at Madame Giry and had said, "No. I am not upset at all."

Now, Erik was listening to the cast and crew celebrating from such a wonderful first show. He would join in the celebrations after reading all of the wonderful letters he had received. He was laughing at one from a woman who had complimented him on his "handsome face" when there was a knock on his door. He put down the letter and walked over to it and opened.

Meg was standing there with a letter in her hand. "This is for you, Erik. They wanted me to give it to you personally." She handed it to him before walking back to the party.

Erik looked down at it in question before shutting the door and walking back to his desk. He sat down and looked down at the simple, white sheet. There was no name written on top of it and he unfolded it to see who had written such a simple 'congratulations' to him.

"Dear Erik,

You were absolutely spectacular in the show. I have never seen such a performance. I knew one day that you would be on that stage, doing what you love best. I honor you for your achievements and wish one day that I could accomplish all the goals in my life as you have done.

"I did not come tonight, expecting something to happen between you and me. But something did. Normally, I would've wished that it would never have happened. That I had not seen you at all…but I don't this time.

"When you looked at me, I saw something in your eyes that made me miss you. The way you sang made me think you were singing to me. I am not sure. You may still be with Christine, but something in your eyes told me that you have feelings for me. If I am completely mistaken, forgive me. I am foolish if all of these things I wish you were thinking were false. But if I am not mistaken, don't give this up, Erik. I will always love you, no matter what happens. Everything that we have been through has made me a different person. I hope that I have made that affect on you.

"Thank you for everything that you have taught me. I saw every lesson that I have learned in the song you sang tonight. I know your song will inspire me to sing much more. I do not need to say anything else to you. I believe you saw it all in my eyes tonight. I miss you and love you more than you know. I hope that you feel the same way. If not, have a wonderful life. You are an actor now, Erik. Your dream has finally come true.

Love, Adrienne"

Erik lay the letter down on the desk and looked down at the beautiful cursive Adrienne had written in. He longed to touch the tool that she had written this letter with. The words were fresh, as if she had just finished this letter. His heart skipped a beat and he grabbed the coat by his door and put it on quickly. He opened his door and ran towards the party as fast as he could.

_Oooh, Erik finally knows that he is in love with Adrienne. Sorry that I kinda ended the chapter on a cliffhanger, but I'll try to update as soon as possible! Thanks for reading! Oh, btw, I don't know anything about the play, Hannibal, so please don't give me comments that say, "By the way, Hannibal was actually never in love blah blah blah, etc." I was just messing around the story a little bit. It's almost over so get ready for one more chapter, guys!_


	10. Can't Live Without You

_This is the last chapter! Ahhh! Thank you guy soo much for reading! I had a lot of fun with this one and it feels like I've been writing it forever. I'll miss it though. Keep reading my other stories please! I hope you enjoy this last chapter and thanks for the reviews!_

Can't Live Without You

Erik pushed towards the crowds of people, accidentally sending drinks up in the air and hearing angry cries from drunken men. He did not stop, but mutter his apologies and still moved quickly through the party. His eyes caught the back of a blonde girl's head as she started to walk away. His heart skip a beat. "Meg!" he cried out.

She turned around, looking for her caller. Erik finally burst through the last bit of people and ran towards her. She looked at him with question on her face. "What is it, Erik?"

"Did you say you saw who gave you this letter?" he asked in a rush, breathing heavily.

"Yes."

"Do you know where she went?"

"No." Erik dropped his head down. "Why do you need to know? She was just a fan."

"No, Meg, she was not _just _a fan." He plopped his body down onto a props box lying against a wall and put his head in his hands.

Meg hesitantly sat down beside him and looked at him with concern. "Is this about Christine?" she asked quietly.

"No," Erik whispered.

"Oh." He felt her turn away awkwardly.

He looked up at her. "I guess you heard about Christine also."

She nodded with sympathetic eyes. "I'm so sorry, Erik. I would never imagine Christine to do something like that."

"I would," Erik said amusingly.

"Oh, don't talk about her like that. She probably feels awful for what she did."

"I know she does. But she doesn't know how to love a man. Raoul will never get the love that he deserves."

Meg was quiet and they both listened to the loud music and gaiety surrounding them. "Why do you want to find the woman who gave you that letter?" Meg asked quietly.

Erik paused. "Because I love her."

"Oh…how quickly you move on."

"I loved her all along; I lied to myself with Christine," Erik said looking up at her.

"I see. And she wrote you a letter about…?"

"About how she loves me back."

"Oh…I understand now." There was silence again. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" Erik looked up at her and was surprised to see that she was smiling. "Go get her, Erik."

Erik smiled at her and flew up from the box. "I need you to come with me."

"Me?"

He reached down and heaved her up. She squeaked as he said, "Yes…you."

He grabbed her wrist and started to run through the remainder of the party goers. "Erik…don't you think you're going a bit too fast!" Meg yelled from behind him.

"_Too _fast? We're not going fast enough; come on!" He quickened his pace and the two of them ran through the rest of the dressing rooms.

Erik accidentally went through occupied rooms and got a few hits in the face as screeching woman threw their clothes at him. All he did was laugh and pulled Meg through the labyrinth of the Opera House.

They finally made it out of the dressing rooms and were soon behind stage. There were still remainders of flowers and costumes lying about the floor as Erik flew into the curtain. Meg screeched. "Erik…watch out for the curtain! They're cleaning it!"

Erik pushed through the opening, but it was too late. With a large groan, the entire red cloth of the curtain came falling down on top of the two. The weight both sent them crashing down onto the ground and Meg screamed. Erik put his hands out to stop his fall, but still hit his face on the hard wood floor of the stage. As the curtain spread out on the two of them, they were left in complete darkness.

There was complete silence after the dramatic fall. They were both breathing heavily and Erik tried to get up, but the weight of the curtain left him lying on the ground. He turned his head and saw that Meg was a couple feet behind him, lying in an awkward position. "Meg! Are you okay?"

She groaned and looked up at him. Her face was red and she didn't look too happy. "I'm fine…just great, Erik. All I have is a curtain as heavy as an elephant on my back. But really, I'm okay."

"Well how was I supposed to know that they were cleaning the curtain?"

"They do it after every show! I thought you came to every one!"

"I don't stay to watch them clean up the set."

Meg huffed angrily and tried to lift up her arm. "Ugh, this is impossible." Her arm fell down beside her. "How are we ever going to get out of here?"

"Aren't they cleaning the curtain? Shouldn't people be here cleaning the curtain?"

"They take it off the rings first and drape it over the lights. Then they come back and wash it down."

Erik groaned and let his head fall onto his arms. "Well, maybe they'll be back soon."

"They always do it the morning after the party. We're going to be stuck here all night."

"Well, I have to go after Adrienne." He pushed up onto his elbows and slowly started to heave up. His arms started shaking with pain and he felt his muscles start to give out. All of a sudden, a voice cried out from above the curtain.

"Is someone under there? I heard a large noise and wanted to see what happened." Their voice was muffled and Erik smiled with pure joy at the sound of the person.

"Yes, there are two of us under here. We need to get out…please. Lift up a bit of the curtain at an end. It's impossible to see under here."

He heard the clicking of shoes as the person ran towards the other end of the stage. They grunted a little bit as they heaved up the cloth. "Okay, it's clear over here!"

"Meg, come on! Over here!" grunted Erik as he slithered across the stage towards the person holding the curtain.

Meg followed Erik as they made it to the opening. Erik heaved himself off the floor and reached forward to shake the hand of the person who helped them out. His hand instantly shot back as he saw Raoul standing in front of him with a sheepish look on his face.

"Oh…Erik…I didn't realize that it was you under there. Are you alright? You look a little hot," Raoul nervously rambled.

Erik just stood there, staring at Raoul with a hard look. Meg came up behind the two of them and looked between them, waiting for someone to talk. "Thank you, Raoul. We thought we were going to be under there for hours."

"It was my pleasure, Meg." Raoul looked at Erik again. He nervously stepped a few steps away and looked at Meg again. "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Good."

There was an awkward moment of silence as Erik continued to stare at Raoul and Meg stood in the middle, ready to break apart any upcoming fights. Raoul avoided any eye contact with Erik and continued to smile and stare down at the floor. Finally, Meg moved forward.

"For heaven's sake, can't you two just talk?"

Erik looked at Raoul and realized that he wasn't mad anymore. It didn't matter that he had taken Christine away from him. She was never with him in the first place. He looked away from Raoul and started to walk away. "Let's go, Meg. We have someone to catch."

Raoul's eyes widened in shock and he watched the two of them walk down the steps off the stage.

"You didn't fight him," Meg whispered as they reached the doors of the entrance hall.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you?"

"There was no point. Making a mark on his face won't change the past."

Meg grabbed his arm to stop him from walking and looked him right in the eye. "Before we go any further, I want to ask you something." Erik looked down at her. "Are you really over her?" she asked quietly. "Are you really over Christine who you've loved since she was a child? Are you willing to walk away from your past with her? Away from the angel of music?"

Erik moved his eyes toward the stage where Raoul was still standing, looking out at the two of them. He moved his eyes around the whole auditorium, looking at each and every angel of the sculpted angels and instruments built into the wall. He looked at the chandelier whose lights were shining like crystal against the dark ceiling. He sighed and looked back at Meg. "I've found a better angel of music." He turned around and walked out the doors of the place he had dreamt to perform in his entire life.

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"Do you know where she lives?" Meg asked as they walked down the steps of the Opera House.

The streets were lit up against the dark night and people were still leaving in their coaches from the performance. "Yes. She lives not that far from here."

They stepped into the square and avoided the many horses trotting by them. The night was chilly and there was a slight, teasing breeze in the air. Erik continued his fast pace and listened to Meg trying to catch up with him. "Erik…I was just wondering; why was it you needed me to come along with you? It seems like you've figured out your speech with this woman."

"I need emotional support. I don't know what I'm going to say to her when I see her." They reached the center of town and passed closing stores.

"What do you mean? You have to have something to say to her otherwise this entire chase will mean nothing."

"You think I haven't thought about that? I suppose I shall just have to say what has been on my mind."

"No, Erik. You have to tell her everything. You have to apologize to her, explain to her, and make sure she understands why you left her for Christine."

Erik turned his head around to look at her. "How did you know about that?"

Meg's face reddened. "I just assumed. It was quite random when you were with Christine all of a sudden."

He turned back around and continued to walk through the town. "She says she loves me. Do I still have to explain myself if she has already professed her love for me?"

"She may have done that, but she would still like to know what exactly happened between the two of you."

"When you say the 'the two of you,' do you mean Christine and me or Adrienne and me?"

"Adrienne and you."

Erik sighed with relief. "Excellent. I think I know what to say."

"Wonderful. Just be careful with your words and don't upset her about anything."

"I won't." Erik suddenly stopped and looked up.

They were standing directly in front of Adrienne's house. "I was walking quite fast, wasn't I?"

All Meg did was nod and stand next to Erik in front of the front door. They stood there for a moment before Meg nodded at him. "Go on, knock on the door."

"I…I don't…I'm not ready for this." He turned to walk away, but Meg grabbed his shoulders and turned him back towards the front door.

"I did not come all this way for absolutely nothing. You _must_ knock on this door otherwise you'll regret it for the rest of your life." She looked him right in the eye, but he kept his eyes on the stone ground underneath them.

He sighed and moved towards the door again. Meg smiled and let go of his shoulders. Erik slowly raised his hand before knocking loudly on the front door of the house. He dropped his hand as the knock echoed through the house. Looking up at the window, he saw that no light had gone on. He frowned and knocked on the door again. Silence. "She should be here."

"Are you sure? She didn't say for you to contact her at her house."

"She didn't expect me to contact her at all. She has nowhere else to go…it's late. She should be home." He looked at the window again to see if a light had gone on yet, but the house remained as quiet as ever. He turned towards Meg. "I don't know where she has gone. Maybe she didn't want me to follow her."

"Maybe she didn't know that you were going to follow her and she went on a walk somewhere."

Erik sighed and paced away from the house onto the street. "I don't know what to do. Does she want me or does she want me to stay away from her? She should've known that I would have chased after her."

"Well, she did think that you and Christine were still together." She tilted her head to the side when she said this.

"That's true." He looked up and down the street and saw that mostly everyone was in their homes now, lighting their fires and sitting down to read a nice book before they went upstairs to go to bed. But Erik was standing in the cold, looking for Adrienne, hoping with all his heart that she would be home soon. He walked back to the front door and sat down right in front of it.

"What are you doing?" Meg asked as she walked over to him.

"I'm waiting."  
"Erik…you can't wait out here. You'll freeze to death."

"I have to wait for Adrienne. I need her to know that I love her tonight."

"Erik…please. I can't leave you alone out here."

"Then join me."

Meg's face fell. "What?"

"Don't leave me then. You can sit with me and wait for Adrienne if you would like."

"Well…I wasn't suggesting that."

"Then you can leave." He crossed his arms and rested his head on the top of his knees with a smug look on his face.

Meg looked at him for a brief moment and then out at the street. She looked between the two of them many times, deciding what would be better for her to do. Her guilty conscience got the best of her and she sighed and sat down next to Erik. He looked over at her with a grin on his face and she rolled her eyes. "This woman better get home soon. I'm not planning to stay here all night."

"I am," Erik said simply.

Adrienne's anger melted away from that and she slightly smiled at him. Then she too crossed her arms and rested her head on the tops of her knees and they both started to battle the cold wind.

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"How long does this woman go on walks for?"

It had been about two hours and Meg and Erik were still sitting against the front door of Adrienne's house. They were both slightly shaking, but Erik had a determined look on his face. "She'll be here soon. I know it."

"Erik, I've heard you say that about fifteen times in the last half hour." She stood up quickly. "That's it. We're going to go find her."

"Where are we possibly going to find her?"

"You tell me. You know this woman much more than I do. Haven't you two ever gone somewhere together? Haven't you shared a moment in a special place?"

A name immediately popped into Erik's head. "Edward's Park!"

Meg smiled. "Yes! Let's go!"

The two of them raced through the streets, both of their shoes clicking on the hard stones. Their shadows danced along the brick walls of the town and Meg's dress flew along her legs as the wind picked her skirt up slightly. Erik was in the lead and his heart was pounding as they finally reached the green grass of the park.

The stars were as bright as ever and Erik suddenly imagined himself lying next to Adrienne in the grass, looking up at the nightlights in the sky. The two of them stopped and started to catch their breath as they looked around the park for Adrienne. Erik walked around, looking at each and every single part where Adrienne might be laying. Meg suddenly gasped and grabbed Erik's arm.

His head jerked up and he looked at the place where Meg was pointing. There was Adrienne, sitting under the tree where they had had their picnic. He immediately smiled and felt chills rise along his arms. He looked down at Meg and saw that she was smiling knowingly at him. He looked back up at Adrienne and saw that she was staring serenely out at the lake where the moon was reflected in the water. The light made her red hair glow and Erik wanted so badly to hold her in his arms. He sighed and started to walk slowly towards her. Before he had gotten within five feet of her, she turned around and her eyes widened in shock to see who was standing before her.

"Hi," Erik whispered.

"Hi," she said with a shy smile.

He smiled back and walked closer to her. She stood up from her rock and looked down at her hands as he stood in front of her. They both looked at each other for a moment but then laughed slightly and looked back down at their hands. _"This is it. You have to tell her everything,"_ Erik argued with himself.

"You look lovely," was the first thing that came to his mind.

She looked up and smiled. "Thank you. You look wonderful. And you did wonderfully tonight. I've never seen such an excellent performance."

"Thank you. I didn't expect you to come."

"I didn't expect you to see me."

"But I did. And I'm glad I did too."

Adrienne smiled, but looked away with a strange look on her face. "What's wrong?" Erik asked, stepping closer to her.

"I just…I don't know why you're here. Shouldn't you be back at the Opera House…with Christine?"

"I got your letter, Adrienne."

"I didn't mean for you to come after me, Erik. I just wanted you to know how I felt. I don't want you to think…"

"Adrienne." She stopped talking and looked up at him. He smiled saying, "I'm not with Christine anymore."

Her mouth slightly dropped. "Oh." She turned away and started to walk. But then she suddenly turned back around. "It wasn't because of my letter, was it?"

"No…something happened. She betrayed me."

"I see," she said rather coldly.

"But it wasn't all because of that. I've known from the beginning that we weren't right for each other. I knew that we could never be." He said that all in rush and was now standing two inches away from her.

"Then why did you go to her in the first place?"

"I…I…" She looked knowingly at him. "I thought that I needed to prove something about myself. I thought that being with Christine could prove that I am a strong man…not just a monster who has no feelings."

"And you thought that I couldn't do that for you? I constantly reminded you how wonderful you were."

"I know that! I really do! But I was a fool. I thought…" His voice got quieter. "I thought that Christine could make everyone that comes to the Opera House see that I am truly a good man."

Adrienne looked down at her feet. "And she didn't do that for you?"

"It didn't matter to me anymore. None of that matters to me anymore. I could never spend one more minute on that stage and just hold you in my arms for the rest of my life and I would be fine"

Tears started to well up in Adrienne's eyes. "You mean that?"

He grabbed her face gently. "Of course I mean that. I've always known that you were the right one for me. I've just been such a selfish fool to admit it."

"You're right; you have been selfish."

Erik smiled at her. "Well, I didn't grab a random woman to make you jealous, now did I?"

Adrienne broke free from his grasp. "Excuse me…you can not try…"

Erik reached for her again and shut her up with a hard kiss. She immediately loosened up and put her arms around his neck. He passionately kissed her and let his heart tremble with joy as he picked her up and spun her around. He felt her smile against his lips and they broke apart. They still embraced as they looked at each other in the eyes.

"I love you, Adrienne," Erik whispered.

A tear fell down her cheek. "I love you too, Erik."

They kissed again under the tree, in Edward's Park, under the stars they had watched together what had seemed much long ago.

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Now it was Adrienne and Erik hand-in-hand walking down the stone street with Meg walking on their left. "We waited about two hours on your doorstep, praying that you would get home soon," Meg complained.

Adrienne looked up at Erik in shock. "You did that?"

Erik shrugged and Meg continued her story. "And then _I _was the one that suggested going out and finding you because Erik was too stubborn to leave that freezing doorstep."

Adrienne and Erik laughed. "You haven't even told her about the collapsing curtain," Erik said.

"Oh, of course. How could I forget about that?"

They laughed again, but realized that they were standing in front of Adrienne's house. Erik sighed and let go of Adrienne's hand and reached forward for Meg. "Thank you for everything, Meg. I couldn't have completed my task without you."

"You're welcome. I'm really sorry about Christine, Erik."

"It's fine." He looked back at Adrienne. "I'm with who I've always been meant to be with." She smiled at him and then he turned back to Meg. "Can you get home safely?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine." She turned and started walking away from the house. Before she reached the corner, she turned one last time and waved at the two. They waved back and she stepped behind the row of houses and disappeared.

Erik turned towards Adrienne and they smiled at each other. He suddenly ran towards her and she squealed softly. He picked her up around the waist and carried her down the walkway to her front door. "Key," he said holding out his hand.

She laughed and reached into her pocket and handed him the house key. He put it in the hole and used his one hand to open the door. "Put me down."

"I will in a minute." He walked over to the couch and plopped her back down on the soft cushion as he layed on top of her, smiling deeply at her.

They both laughed, but Adrienne raised her hand and brushed her hand through his hair. "Erik?"

"Yes?"

She paused. "Can I see your face?"

Erik looked down at her in thought and looked deep into her eyes. He saw nothing but trust and compassion in her bright eyes and he smiled. "Yes. But don't think any less of me."

"I never could." She raised her hand and it hesitantly twitched in the air as her fingers reached toward the end towards his face. Her fingers curled up slightly but she allowed them to grab the mask. She gently swiped it off his face and placed it on the cushion beneath them.

His burnt skin made his whole one side look destroyed. The eye sagged and added to the gruesomeness of his face stand out more. He looked up at her to see her face and she just looked at him with a strong look. She raised her hand and gently placed it on his bad side. Slowly, she started to caress it and she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're still handsome as ever."

He smiled and reached down to put his mask on again. She let him, because she knew how hard it was for him to keep his disguise off. He buried his head into her shoulder and she placed her chin on top of his head.

"I never want to be away from you again," Erik whispered.

"Nor do I."

"I love you more than my whole life at the Opera House."

"I love you more than singing."

He kissed her once on the neck and they both stared at the vacant piano in the corner of the room. They were now fully together. There were no more memories of Adrienne's past life and there were no more memories of Christine. Erik had truly found his angel of music at last.

The End


End file.
